The period for Facebook users to submit their claims to a $725 million settlement over the Cambridge Analytica scandal began on Wednesday.
Anyone who had a Facebook account at any point between May 24, 2007 and Dec. 22, 2022 can apply for a share of the massive settlement. The claim form will be available online through Aug. 25, 2023. Users are also allowed to mail a physical letter to claim their share.
Facebook gave Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting company, data on 87 million users back in 2015. Various Republican campaigns, including Donald Trump’s campaign for president, then hired the company and used the data to target voters.
However, Facebook kept that information hidden for years. The company didn’t reveal the data-sharing snafu until March 2018, as multiple news outlets were on the verge of uncovering the story.
“We have a basic responsibility to protect people’s data,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the time. “And if we can’t do that, then we don’t deserve to have the opportunity to serve people.”
Zuckerberg was also hauled in front of Congress to testify about the scandal. While there, he admitted that his own data was obtained by Cambridge Analytica. Zuckerberg also apologized at the hearing, but when asked about changing the company’s business model, he responded, “I’m not sure what that means.”
The Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook $5 billion over the scandal. Meanwhile, a group of users sued the company in federal court in Northern California.
After years of legal wrangling, Zuckerberg and former Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg were staring down hours-long depositions in the summer of 2022. Instead, Facebook agreed to settle the lawsuit. It took four months to hammer out the details before the parties agreed on the $725 million payout.
When the scandal broke in 2018, it led to calls for people to delete their accounts. Anyone who did delete their account remains eligible for the settlement money. Facebook still has an estimated 250 million users in the U.S. and 2 billion users worldwide.