In a move to settle a class-action lawsuit in four Canadian provinces, Meta is offering $51 million over the unauthorized use of users’ images in Facebook advertising.
The legal action was initiated by a British Columbia woman who alleged that her image, along with others, was used without their knowledge in Facebook’s sponsored stories advertising program, which is no longer operational.
The proposed settlement is currently under consideration and must be approved by a B.C. Supreme Court judge in March. Additionally, a process to determine the allocation of the settlement funds among class members will be established.
Originally filed in B.C., the lawsuit expanded its scope in 2019 to include residents of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The sponsored stories program ran from January 2011 to May 2014. Under this program, if a user liked a product, Facebook would generate a news feed endorsement using their name and profile photo without informing them that their image was being used.
The court-appointed administrator, MNP Ltd., overseeing the proposed settlement, has estimated that approximately 4.3 million individuals who had their real name or photo used in a sponsored story may qualify for compensation as part of the Canadian settlement.
Individuals who wish to object to the proposed settlement have until March 11 to express their concerns. This settlement represents Meta’s effort to address the legal consequences arising from the unauthorized use of user images during the specified period.
