Submitting a Claim in $51 Million Facebook Settlement: A Guide for Canadians
Residents of B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador who were Facebook users are entitled to compensation through a $51 million class-action settlement for privacy breaches on the platform.
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge approved the settlement in March between Meta, Facebook’s parent company, and 4.3 million users in four provinces.
The settlement is related to Facebook’s use of profile pictures in sponsored stories, which is not an admission of guilt by the company. It is a compromise to resolve claims without admitting liability.
Payout Eligibility
Residents of the mentioned provinces with a Facebook account registered between Jan. 1, 2011, and May 30, 2014, are eligible for a portion of the settlement, as per MNP.
To be eligible for compensation, a Facebook user must have used their real name and had a profile picture that was utilized in a sponsored story by the platform.
It is virtually impossible to determine if a user was featured in a sponsored story, so any user from the provinces who met the criteria could receive a settlement according to MNP’s FAQ page.
Lawyers estimate most users will receive between $20 and $55, with a potential maximum payout of $200.
Related Stories
Claimants will need to provide their details by the deadline of Aug. 20 at 5 p.m. PT to submit a claim.
Sponsored Stories
The sponsored stories case originated when Deborah Louise Douez sought legal advice after her Facebook photo was used in an endorsement for a race company without her consent. This led to a lawsuit against Facebook’s former policy on using users’ images and names in ads.
The current class action is a result of Ms. Douez’s 2017 lawsuit challenging Facebook’s practice regarding user “Likes” and their utilization in ads.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
