
(NEXSTAR) – After years of waiting, millions of Americans are beginning to receive their portion of the massive $725 million Facebook privacy settlement. But was it worth the wait?
Some recipients in the first wave of payments are feeling a little underwhelmed and have taken to social media to voice their displeasure.
Most of the people posting about the payment on X appeared to have received around $30, give or take a few dollars.
One person noted the cost of their personal information was only worth some gas money. The class lawsuit responsible for the payouts accused Facebook of sharing users’ data with third parties, most notably Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
“If you’re ever feeling worthless, realize that over a decade of your data being stolen is only worth $30. This should make you feel worse,” wrote another X user.
But others took the meager payment in stride. One person joked their settlement payment would be just about enough to cover the cost of a Costco hot dog meal deal.
For a long time, we didn’t know exactly how big people’s individual payouts would be. About 28 million people filed claims in the case and it wasn’t immediately clear how many would be legitimate.
Court documents filed earlier this month revealed the minimum payment amount would be $4.89, the maximum would be $38.36, and the average would be $29.43. How much each person gets depends on how long they had an active Facebook account between May 2007 and December 2022.
“A whopping $37.55,” said another user, who received close to the maximum amount. But even if the amount isn’t life-changing, they reached a relatable conclusion: “I’ll take free money.”
The payments began in early September and are expected to continue through mid-November.
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