2 like 0 dislike
in General Factchecking by Genius (49.2k points)
Facebook is in a $725 million class action lawsuit and users who join the lawsuit will get a part of the settlement.
by Apprentice (1.3k points)
1 0
This is indeed true because The Washington Post came out claiming that Facebook, which is owned by Meta had to pay a $725 million fee due to claims that they are selling their users' data without their consent. Due to this millions of people had the opportunity to fill out a form and apply for a settlement. This was only valid until Friday, August 25.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/08/23/facebook-settlement-claim-deadline/

Similarly, Forbes claimed that around 17.7 million people filed a complaint against Facebook and how their information was being used and shared without their consent. There were 10 million more complaints but many of them were fraudulent and some were duplicates. Many users got 30 dollars back on behalf of a settlement. So the claim is true as users who joined the lawsuit were able to get part of the settlement.

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/facebook-class-action-lawsuit-settlement/
by Legend (6.6k points)
1 0
I like how you use multiple sources, and go partially into the depth of the lawsuit. .The more people who join the class action the less payout there will be in case of a settlement. Great job!
by Genius (49.2k points)
0 0
Great work on your fact-check @Krithika -- however the lawsuit is now closed. Now one can join it from what I can tell. Wouldn't it be false then? Also, please "answer" the claim rather than "comment" on it it can be upvoted or chosen as the best answer. Thanks!

2 Answers

4 like 0 dislike
by Journeyman (3.2k points)
selected by
 
Best answer
This is only partially true! The $275 million figure is backed up by several news outlets, including NPR (https://www.npr.org/2023/04/20/1170987739/facebook-settlement-lawsuit-privacy) and, according to the link helpfully provided by the U.S. Courts website, there were a few ways to get involved in the suit, however the time to file a claim and receive a portion of the settlement has passed. The deadline to file a claim was August 25 of 2023, and the other deadlines to opt-out or object to the settlement have also passed. Unfortunately, you won't be able to get any money out of this particular lawsuit (there could always be more in the future, so keep an eye out).

U.S. Court site: https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/notices/facebook-privacy-settlement-information/

link to settlement info: https://www.facebookuserprivacysettlement.com/
False
by Apprentice (1.0k points)
0 0
Great job explaining the settlement timeline and giving a clear explanation of the lawsuit/
by Genius (49.2k points)
0 0
Very good - you caught the part about the deadline, making the claim false. Nice work!
by Journeyman (2.5k points)
0 0
Great job on analyzing multiple sources to support your claim. I also like the way you structured your paragraph where you mentioned the date of the ddl. Your claim is also organized and precise.
1 like 0 dislike
by Apprentice (1.2k points)

This statement is misleading. While, yes, Facebook is facing a $725 million class action lawsuit, it is not official that people will be getting money out if it. The lawsuit stems from Facebook apparently selling users' data without their consent. There was a form people could sign for settlement due to their private information being released, but the parameters, and the people who "will get money" have not been revealed. 

https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2023/facebook-settlement-money.html

https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/notices/facebook-privacy-settlement-information/

Exaggerated/ Misleading

Community Rules


Be respectful.

There is bound to be disagreement on a site about misinformation. Assume best intentions on everyone's part.

If you are new to factchecking, take some time to learn about it. "How to Factcheck" has some resources for getting started. Even if you disagree with these materials, they'll help you understand the language of this community better.

News Detective is for uncovering misinformation and rumors. This is not a general interest question-answer site for things someone could Google.

Posting

The title is the "main claim" that you're trying to factcheck.

Example:
Factcheck This: Birds don't exist

If possible, LINK TO to the place you saw the claim.

Answering

LINK TO YOUR EVIDENCE or otherwise explain the source ("I called this person, I found it in this book, etc.")

But don't just drop a link. Give an explanation, copy and paste the relevant information, etc.

News Detective is not responsible for anything anyone posts on the platform.
...