Sydney, December 17, 2024: Meta Platforms Inc. has agreed to pay $31.85 million to settle a class action lawsuit in Australia related to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The settlement follows allegations that the company improperly shared the personal data of millions of Australian users with the now-defunct political consultancy, Cambridge Analytica.
The lawsuit, filed in 2018, claimed that Meta (formerly Facebook) failed to protect user data, leading to breaches of privacy laws. The settlement amount will compensate affected users who were part of the class action. Meta did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the agreement but opted to resolve the legal dispute to avoid prolonged litigation.
The Australian Federal Court had previously ruled that Meta was liable for breaching the country’s privacy laws by allowing third parties to access user data without consent. The company has since made significant changes to its privacy policies and practices in an effort to regain user trust.
The payment of $31.85 million will be distributed to the affected individuals, and Meta has agreed to continue implementing stricter data protection measures moving forward.
