Facebook $725 Million Privacy Settlement: Bonus Payment Sent in June 2026

The case is In re: Facebook, Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation, Case No. 3:18-md-02843-VC, a multidistrict litigation before Judge Vince Chhabria in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Users claimed Facebook improperly shared their information with third parties, such as advertisers and data brokers.

Meta, formerly Facebook, Inc., denies that it violated any law, and the settlement is not a finding that it did. The court granted final approval on October 10, 2023. Objectors appealed; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on February 13, 2025, the appeals were resolved as of May 14, 2025, and the settlement became final on May 22, 2025.

The court found that more than 93% of a target audience of 253 million Americans had received notice of the settlement by July 11, 2023.

The class was every Facebook user in the United States at any time from May 24, 2007 through December 22, 2022. But only class members who filed a claim form by August 25, 2023, and whose claim was approved, received money.

• Only people who created accounts could claim; the court noted only natural persons can create Facebook accounts.
• Class members who did nothing received no payment and still released their claims against Meta.
• People who opted out by July 26, 2023 kept their right to sue and got no payment.

The June 2026 bonus payment went only to class members with approved claims who successfully cashed or accepted their initial payment. If you never cashed your first check or let a digital payment expire, you were not eligible for the second round.

Item	Amount
Settlement fund	$725,000,000
Attorneys' fees awarded	$181,250,000 (25%)
Expenses awarded	$4,101,608.09
Service awards	$15,000 each, $120,000 total
Average first payment	About $29

Under the plan of allocation, each authorized claimant received one allocation point for each calendar month they had an activated Facebook account during the class period. The net fund was divided by total points, so a person who used Facebook for all of the roughly 15-year class period received more than someone who joined in 2021.

CBS News reported, citing a court filing, that the average first-round payment was $29. The second distribution redistributed uncashed first-round funds, so it was smaller than the first payment; the administrator did not publish a per-person bonus amount on the settlement website. The court also ordered 10% of the fee award, $18,125,000, held back until distribution was complete. See how settlement money is divided for how point systems work.

The settlement administrator, Angeion Group, handles payment problems. What to do depends on how you chose to be paid:

1. Check: use the Request a Check Reissue portal on the settlement website. Reissues are available only after 30 days from the original issue date.
2. PayPal or Venmo: payments must be accepted within 30 days. If one fails or expires, the administrator sends a second chance email about 50 days after the original payment to update your method.
3. Zelle: you have 14 days to enroll after the notification, or the payment expires and a second chance email follows.
4. Virtual prepaid Mastercard: activation emails come from facebookuserprivacysettlement@hawkmarketplace.com. The card expires 24 months after activation, and you can request a replacement for any remaining balance.

For anything else, email info@facebookuserprivacysettlement.com with your Claim ID. The official site warns that the settlement never asks for sensitive personal information or a payment to release your award. Our guides on missing settlement checks and settlement scams have more.

Event	Date
Opt-out and objection deadline	July 26, 2023
Claim deadline	August 25, 2023
Final approval hearing	September 7, 2023
Final approval granted	October 10, 2023
Settlement became final	May 22, 2025
First distribution began	September 2025
Second distribution approved	May 6, 2026
Second distribution began	June 9, 2026

As of September 2026, both distributions have been sent and there is no open claim process. Any further use of leftover money would require another court order.

Because the class released claims tied to the facts in this case, most U.S. Facebook users cannot sue Meta again over the same data-sharing practices from 2007 to 2022. Newer claims are different. Meta was also found liable by a jury in August 2025 over health data from the Flo period app; see the Flo Health settlement. Pending suits about platform design and teens are tracked on our social media addiction lawsuit page, and those are allegations, not findings. For other Meta money, see the Meta social media settlement.

If a health app or website sent your medical information to Meta through tracking tools, our health app data sharing page explains those claims, and a free case review can connect you with independent attorneys who handle privacy cases.