Published
May 1, 2023
Updated
October 14, 2026
This settlement resolves claims that Meta inferred Facebook users' locations from their IP addresses even after they switched Location Services off. Claims closed in August 2023, the court granted final approval in March 2024, and payments to approved claimants went out in May 2024.
Current Status
Claims are closed. The deadline to submit a claim form was August 11, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. The court granted final approval of the $37.5 million settlement on March 11, 2024. The settlement administrator sent electronic payments of $31.77 per approved claimant on May 24, 2024 and mailed paper checks on May 29, 2024, according to the post-distribution accounting class counsel filed with the court on September 5, 2024. That filing reported that 99.24% of the net settlement fund was cashed or redeemed.StatusPayments CompletedFinal approval March 11, 2024 · payments sent May 2024.
Claim DeadlineAugust 11, 2023New claims are not accepted.
Payment Per Claimant$31.77Per the administrator's post-distribution accounting.
Proof RequiredNoSelf-certified eligibility plus the email or username tied to the Facebook account.
What Was the Case About?
Plaintiffs alleged that Meta Platforms, Inc. — formerly Facebook, Inc. — continued to determine the locations of U.S. Facebook users from their IP addresses even when those users had turned Location Services off for the Facebook app on their iPhone or Android device. The complaint claimed this contradicted users' stated privacy preferences and Meta's own terms of service.Meta agreed to pay $37.5 million to resolve the claims. It has not admitted wrongdoing and denies liability for the conduct alleged in the lawsuit.
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Who Was Covered?
The class covered Facebook users who resided in the United States between January 30, 2015 and April 18, 2018, who had Location Services switched off in the Facebook app, and who used an iOS or Android smartphone or smart device during that period. Reporting at the time of the settlement placed the potentially affected population at roughly 70 million U.S. residents.How Much Did Class Members Get?
Payments were pro rata, so the per-person amount depended on how many valid claims were approved after court-approved fees, costs and administration expenses were deducted from the $37.5 million fund. The administrator's post-distribution accounting shows that each approved claimant was paid $31.77, and that 899,410 payments were cashed or redeemed.What Was Required to File?
No receipts or documents were required. Claimants confirmed on the claim form that they were a U.S. resident, that they used Facebook between January 30, 2015 and April 18, 2018 while in the United States, that they had Location Services disabled in the Facebook app during that window, and that they accessed Facebook while it was disabled.The form also asked for the email address associated with the Facebook account and, where the claimant had one, the public Facebook username — the handle that appears in a profile's public URL. Because no administrator-issued identifier gated the filing, this page is marked Proof Required: No.
How Were Payments Sent?
Claimants could receive payment electronically or, if they specifically requested it, by mailed check. The administrator issued 887,685 electronic payments on May 24, 2024 and mailed 18,614 paper checks on May 29, 2024. Electronic payments that failed or expired were reissued on July 30, 2024, and the checks became void on August 29, 2024.What Happens Next?
The distribution to claimants is finished. On September 5, 2024, class counsel filed the post-distribution accounting along with a motion to send the roughly $277,000 left over (uncashed payments plus accrued interest) to court-approved cy pres recipients; the court heard that motion on October 10, 2024.Official information is available at Facebook Location Settlement.
Important Dates
• Class period: January 30, 2015 through April 18, 2018• Claim deadline: August 11, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. PT
• Final approval: March 11, 2024
• Payments sent: May 24, 2024 (electronic) and May 29, 2024 (checks)
• Check void date: August 29, 2024
Sources
• Official settlement website: Facebook Location Settlement• Settlement notice, claim form and final approval order posted by the settlement administrator
• Class counsel announcement of final approval of the $37.5 million settlement
• Post-distribution accounting and motion for cy pres distribution, Lundy v. Facebook Inc., No. 3:18-cv-06793-JD (N.D. Cal.), Dkt. 227 (Sept. 5, 2024): court docket
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Settlement Fund
$37,500,000
Defendant
Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.)
Class Period
January 30, 2015 – April 18, 2018
Claim Deadline
August 11, 2023
Status
Payments Completed
Official Website
Facebook Location Settlement
