Case Updates
Court Grants Preliminary Approval of $725 Million Settlement in Facebook Cambridge Analytica Consumer Privacy Class Action
On March 29, 2023, the Court granted preliminary approval of the class action settlement arising out of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, for $725 million-the largest settlement ever of a privacy class action in the United States. The parties notified the Court of a settlement in principle in August and after months of additional negotiations, on December 22, 2022, filed the details of the settlement with the Court.
Lesley Weaver of Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP, Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs in this action, said: “This landmark privacy settlement resulted from years of fierce litigating. The entire team deserves recognition for their persistence.”
Ms. Weaver serves as Co-Lead Counsel with Derek Loeser of Keller Rohrback L.L.P. The Litigation was originally prompted by news in March 2018 that the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested information from up to 87 million Facebook users. The case was later expanded to target broader data-sharing practices by Facebook. Plaintiffs allege that Facebook granted numerous third parties access to their Facebook content and information without their consent, and that Facebook failed to adequately monitor the third parties' access to, and use of, that information.
The hard-fought and contentious litigation was overseen by United States District Judge Vince Chhabria and then-Magistrate and now District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the Northern District of California, as well as by discovery mediators Daniel Garrie and Judge Gail Andler. Mr. Garrie also served as the Special Master for discovery disputes, and former U.S. Magistrate Judge Jay C. Gandhi mediated the settlement.
Ms. Weaver and Mr. Loeser released the following statement about the settlement’s approval: "We are pleased that the Court has preliminarily approved this historic privacy settlement of claims against Facebook and look forward to completing the approval process as quickly as possible.”
For additional information regarding the settlement of In re: Facebook, Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litig., No. 3:18-md-02843-VC please visit the settlement website at https://www.facebookuserprivacysettlement.com/.
Lesley Weaver of Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP, Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs in this action, said: “This landmark privacy settlement resulted from years of fierce litigating. The entire team deserves recognition for their persistence.”
Ms. Weaver serves as Co-Lead Counsel with Derek Loeser of Keller Rohrback L.L.P. The Litigation was originally prompted by news in March 2018 that the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested information from up to 87 million Facebook users. The case was later expanded to target broader data-sharing practices by Facebook. Plaintiffs allege that Facebook granted numerous third parties access to their Facebook content and information without their consent, and that Facebook failed to adequately monitor the third parties' access to, and use of, that information.
The hard-fought and contentious litigation was overseen by United States District Judge Vince Chhabria and then-Magistrate and now District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the Northern District of California, as well as by discovery mediators Daniel Garrie and Judge Gail Andler. Mr. Garrie also served as the Special Master for discovery disputes, and former U.S. Magistrate Judge Jay C. Gandhi mediated the settlement.
Ms. Weaver and Mr. Loeser released the following statement about the settlement’s approval: "We are pleased that the Court has preliminarily approved this historic privacy settlement of claims against Facebook and look forward to completing the approval process as quickly as possible.”
For additional information regarding the settlement of In re: Facebook, Inc. Consumer Privacy User Profile Litig., No. 3:18-md-02843-VC please visit the settlement website at https://www.facebookuserprivacysettlement.com/.