(NEXSTAR) – While many Americans qualify for a piece of the massive $725 million Facebook settlement, a few groups of people are not eligible to make a claim in the class action lawsuit.
The eligibility requirements are fairly simple: You need to have had a Facebook account for any time between May 24, 2007, and Dec. 22, 2022. You also need to have been a United States resident during that period of time. Even people who have deleted Facebook accounts may qualify.
But there are some exemptions, as outlined by the settlement administrator.
First off, “directors, officers, legal representatives, alleged co-conspirators, and agents” of Facebook’s parent company Meta are disqualified.
Any legal counsel who represented Facebook in the lawsuit (or other lawsuits that were consolidated into this settlement) also are not eligible. The same goes for other people who worked on the case, including the judge, mediators and court staff.
Finally, anyone who opts out of the settlement can’t get a payment. People may have opted out if they wanted to retain the right to sue Facebook separately on this same issue.
The lawsuit stems from claims Facebook allowed users’ personal data to be shared with third parties, the most famous being Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm that supported Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The firm harvested the data of as many as 87 million Facebook users, the Associated Press reported.
Meta agreed to settle the claim but denies any wrongdoing.
The deadline to opt out already passed on July 26.
If the fine print is confusing, or you’re not sure if you qualify, you can send an email to info@FacebookUserPrivacySettlement.com or call 1-855-556-2233 for help from the settlement administrator.
The last day to file a claim is Aug. 25, 2023.