The Facebook settlement claim form closed on August 25, 2023, and no new submissions are being accepted. If you filed before that date, payments began going out in September 2025 and are expected to continue for roughly 10 weeks. Most people are receiving around $30, with a maximum near $38 depending on how long they held a Facebook account during the covered period.
Why Payments Took So Long
The court granted final approval of the $725 million settlement in In re: Facebook, Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation on October 10, 2023. Two objectors then filed appeals, which held up distribution for well over a year. Those appeals were resolved on May 14, 2025, and the settlement became final on May 22, 2025.1Facebook User Privacy Settlement. Home – Facebook User Privacy Settlement
Under a court order dated August 27, 2025, the Settlement Administrator began sending payments and said the process would run for about 10 weeks from that point. Your payment arrives through whichever method you selected on the claim form: PayPal, Venmo, direct deposit, physical check, or prepaid Mastercard.1Facebook User Privacy Settlement. Home – Facebook User Privacy Settlement
How Much You’ll Get
No one receives a flat amount. The settlement uses an allocation-point system: one point for every month you had an active Facebook account between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. A person who held an account for the entire window accumulates 188 points, the maximum.1Facebook User Privacy Settlement. Home – Facebook User Privacy Settlement
The administrator divides the net fund (the $725 million minus court-approved attorneys’ fees, administrative costs, and service awards) across all approved claimants by their point totals. In practice that has worked out to roughly $30 per person on average. A full 188-point claimant lands near $38. Shorter account histories pay less.
Before your payment is sent, you should receive an email notification from the administrator about three to four days in advance. Those emails come from addresses on the facebookuserprivacysettlement.com domain.1Facebook User Privacy Settlement. Home – Facebook User Privacy Settlement
If You Filed and Haven’t Been Paid
Start with your spam and junk folders. Email providers filter unfamiliar senders aggressively, and the notification is easy to miss. If you chose a physical check, those tend to arrive later in the distribution window because mailing takes longer than electronic transfers. If you chose a prepaid Mastercard, watch for what might look like junk mail containing the card.
If nothing turns up, contact the Settlement Administrator at info@facebookuserprivacysettlement.com. Include your full name and the email address you used on the claim form so they can locate your file. Common reasons for a delayed or missing payment include an outdated mailing address, a closed bank account, or a PayPal or Venmo account that has since been shut down. The administrator can update your payment information if needed.
Watch for Settlement Scams
The official settlement site has posted a fraud alert. The real administrator will never ask you to pay a fee to receive your money, and will never request your Social Security number, bank login credentials, or credit card details. Anyone asking you to “verify” your identity by sending money or handing over sensitive financial information is running a scam.1Facebook User Privacy Settlement. Home – Facebook User Privacy Settlement
Legitimate payment notifications arrive at the email address you listed on your claim form and reference details specific to your claim. If a message looks suspicious, do not click links inside it. Go directly to facebookuserprivacysettlement.com to check your status or reach the administrator through the contact information posted there.
Do You Owe Tax on It?
Privacy settlement payments are generally treated as taxable ordinary income under federal tax law, because they do not compensate for physical injury or physical sickness.2IRS. Tax Implications of Settlements and Judgments
In practice, most claimants will not receive a 1099-MISC. The federal reporting threshold for 1099-MISC in the 2026 tax year is $2,000, and the maximum individual payout here is around $38. You are technically supposed to report the income, but at this size it will not meaningfully change what you owe.
A Note for Anyone Who Didn’t File
If you never submitted a claim form by August 25, 2023, you are not eligible for a payment, even if you had a qualifying U.S. Facebook account during the May 2007 to December 2022 class period. The claims window is closed and cannot be reopened.