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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →There was no fixed payment for each person in the Facebook privacy settlement. Approved claimants’ first payments were calculated according to how many months they had an activated Facebook account during the class period. CBS News reported a first-round average of $29.43, while AARP reported an initial range of $4.89 to $38.36 based on court documents. Those are historical reference points—not a promise of what any individual received.
How the Facebook settlement payment was calculated
The settlement had a gross fund of $725 million, but that entire amount was not divided directly among users. Administration costs, court-awarded legal fees and costs, and service awards were deducted first. The remaining net fund was allocated among authorized claimants using a points system.
Each approved claimant received one point for every month they had an activated Facebook account during the class period. The net fund was divided by the total points for all approved claims; each person’s share was then based on their own points. In the court-approved notice’s words, the amount depended on how many valid claims were submitted and how long each claimant used Facebook during the class period.
What people received in the first distribution
Published figures give a sense of the first-round outcomes, but they do not establish any particular claimant’s payment:
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- $29.43 average: CBS News reported this as the average first payment, citing a court filing. It is an average, not a guaranteed amount. CBS News, June 5, 2026.
- $4.89 to $38.36 range: AARP reported this initial payment range based on court documents. AARP, updated June 10, 2026.
- One personal example: An AARP writer reported receiving $34.69 in the first distribution. That is one person’s experience, not a typical or promised payment. AARP, updated June 10, 2026.
How the second payment worked
The later distribution was a redistribution of uncashed first-round funds, not a new settlement claim or a new opportunity to apply. According to CBS News, claimants were eligible for this distribution if they had successfully cashed their original payment. The administrator began distributing the second payments on June 9, 2026, and expected the process to continue for four weeks. CBS reported that there was no universal second-round amount published on the official site; individual additional payments varied. CBS News, June 5, 2026.
AARP reported an individual example of a $6.61 additional payment, alongside that writer’s $34.69 first payment. It is an anecdote, not an estimate for other claimants. AARP, updated June 10, 2026.
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Who could receive money
The settlement class covered people in the United States who used Facebook between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, inclusive. Belonging to that class alone did not guarantee payment: a person also had to submit a timely, properly completed claim that the settlement administrator approved. The claim deadline has passed.
This was In re: Facebook, Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation, Case No. 3:18-md-02843-VC. The case concerned allegations about Facebook user data and friends’ data being made accessible to third parties without permission, and Facebook’s monitoring and enforcement of third-party access. Meta denied liability and wrongdoing. The official settlement materials are available at the settlement administrator’s website.
How to check your own claim or payment
News reports and published averages cannot confirm whether a specific claim was approved, how it was paid, or whether a payment was cashed. For your individual status, use the administrator’s official website and follow its current claim-status and contact instructions. If you contact the administrator, include your claim ID. Check the site for current contact details rather than relying on an address copied from an older report.
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