A $51 million class-action settlement has been approved for Facebook users in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador due to privacy breaches related to the platform’s now-defunct sponsored stories.
Eligible users include those residing in the mentioned provinces with a registered Facebook account between January 1, 2011, and May 30, 2014, using their real name and an identifiable profile picture.
Though determining actual appearance in a sponsored story is difficult, most eligible users can expect a payout of $20 to $55, with a possible maximum of $200.
Claims can be submitted at mnp.ca/facebooksettlement by August 20, 5 p.m. PT, requiring personal information and Facebook account details.
The settlement, initiated in 2012 by Deborah Louise Douez over unauthorized use of her photo in an ad, does not imply admission of wrongdoing by Facebook.
It concludes a legal battle against Facebook’s former policy allowing the use of user names and photos in ads based on “Likes.”
