If you’re a Facebook user in the US you might have just received a check in the mail for $15, seemingly from the company. Surprisingly, the check is actually real, and it’s part of a settlement for a class action lawsuit against the giant social network.
Facebook users have taken to the internet to show their surprise and confusion when checks started rolling in yesterday. While many doubted the veracity of the checks, and believed them to be part of some scam, some users actually cashed their checks in – with no issues.
The “free money” comes from a class action lawsuit filed against the social network way back in 2011. At the time, Facebook was taken to court because it used its users’ names and images in “Sponsored Story” ads without any consent. It even did so for users under 18 years of age.
Two years of legal deliberations later, Facebook finally decided to settle for $20 million, but appeals from third parties kept the case going up until this year. Now, all legal decisions are final, and the settlement money has started to be distributed.
If you signed up to join the lawsuit by May 2nd, 2013, check your mail, because you’ll be getting a check from the biggest social network in the world.
Meanwhile, if you're in the EU, you have a different lawsuit to look forward to, where Facebook is being sued for infringing on its users' privacy. The case has been referred to the EU's top court as of this fall, and if successful, may see the company pay out similar amounts to EU citizens.
Source: NBC NY
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