Millions of Facebook users across the United States are now beginning to receive money from a huge $725 million settlement. The payments come after a lawsuit claimed that Facebook, now called Meta, allowed outside companies and advertisers to access users’ private information without their permission. The money began being sent out in September 2025, and the process will take about 10 weeks to complete.
According to CNN, nearly 29 million claims were filed, and around 18 million were approved. After legal fees and costs, about $540 million is being divided among those approved users. The amount each person receives depends on how long they used Facebook during the years covered by the lawsuit.
Payments are being distributed through direct deposit, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or prepaid cards. Individuals whose payments don’t process will be contacted to update their information. While Meta, Facebook’s parent company, did not admit wrongdoing, this is one of the largest privacy settlements in U.S. history, highlighting the importance of protecting personal data online.
The settlement stems from years of criticism over Facebook’s handling of user privacy, including high-profile scandals that showed how personal data could be shared without clear permission. For many, this payout is seen as both a reminder of those issues and a step toward holding big tech companies accountable for how they treat user information.
For some users, the payout may feel like a small reward for the loss of privacy, but it also represents accountability for one of the world’s largest social media companies. Lawyers and privacy advocates say that these types of settlements encourage companies to take user privacy more seriously in the future.
