Meta’s $90 million Facebook privacy settlement resolved claims that Facebook tracked users’ online activity without consent, including through cookies associated with the Facebook Like button on other websites. It was a common fund—not a $90 payment for every person—and also required deletion of qualifying cookie data. The settlement received final approval and was upheld on appeal in 2024.
What was the Facebook privacy lawsuit about?
The consolidated case, In Re Facebook Internet Tracking Litigation, grew out of suits users began filing in 2011. They alleged that Facebook tracked their online activities without consent, including activity on non-Facebook websites displaying the Facebook Like button. The Ninth Circuit described the claims as involving alleged violations of common law and statutory rights in contract and tort. The court’s February 21, 2024 memorandum recounts the case history.
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The settlement addressed cookie data that Facebook improperly received or collected from April 22, 2010, through September 26, 2011. It did not establish that every Facebook user was tracked, nor did it determine that every allegation applied to every person in the class.
What did Facebook agree to?
A $90 million common fund
Facebook agreed to pay $90 million into a settlement fund. The fund was designated to pay valid claims, notice and administration expenses, attorneys’ fees and expenses, and service awards. The settlement FAQ describes the fund as $90,000,000.00.
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Deletion of qualifying cookie data
Facebook also agreed to search for, collect, sequester, and delete “all cookie data” it improperly received or collected during the defined period, to the extent it had not already been deleted. The requirement concerned qualifying data associated with U.S. Facebook users who visited non-Facebook websites displaying the Like button.
Who was potentially affected?
In evaluating the settlement, the district court considered 124 million potentially affected Facebook users in the United States, according to the Ninth Circuit. That figure describes the scale of the group considered by the court; it is not a count of people who filed valid claims or received payments.
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How much did people receive?
The $90 million was not a guaranteed $90 payment to each eligible person. The fund also covered legal and administrative costs, and individual payments depended on the number of approved claims and the amounts deducted from the fund. The official materials cited here do not establish one universal per-person payout.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The appellate record says class counsel received approval for $26.1 million in attorneys’ fees, equal to 29% of the settlement fund, as well as service awards of $3,000 to $5,000 for each of seven named plaintiffs. Those amounts were components of the settlement, not ordinary class-member payments.
Was the settlement approved?
Yes. The settlement website lists the final-approval hearing as October 27, 2022. The district court granted final approval after a fairness hearing, and on February 21, 2024, the Ninth Circuit affirmed, concluding that the $90 million payment together with the data-deletion relief was fair and reasonable. The opinion’s appendix records that rehearing was denied on April 1, 2024. See the settlement website for the hearing listing and the Ninth Circuit memorandum for the appellate decision.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not confuse it with Meta’s $725 million settlement
This case was the Facebook Internet Tracking Litigation. It is separate from Meta’s $725 million Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation settlement. The two settlements concern different lawsuits; the $90 million fund and cookie-deletion terms described here belong to the tracking case.
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- Know when people have seen your messages.
- Forward messages or photos to people who weren't in the conversation.
- Search for people and groups to quickly get back to them.
- Turn on location to let people know when you're nearby.
- See who's available on Messenger and who's active on Facebook.
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