Facebook Pays Up

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yogi
Posts: 9978
Joined: 14 Feb 2015, 21:49

Facebook Pays Up

Post by yogi »

I'm sure I mentioned this when it first came up in October of 2020. I figured it was a lost cause, but I received a check from Facebook today in the amount of $397.00. You may have forgotten my story and I'll refresh your memory here just for the record.

I moved to Missouri in 2016 and lived in the state of Illinois for all the previous 72 years of my life. You know me well enough to know that I'm big on computers and social networking so that it should come as no surprise to you that at one point in my former life I was very active on Facebook. One day a friend, it could have been a relative, posted a photograph in which I was one of the people therein. Facebook in all its infinite wisdom used the biometric data they had on me and "tagged" the picture to identify me to anyone who cared to view the photo. I guess that was cute, or something, and I recall being very surprised that I was tagged. It was a relatively new feature at the time and I didn't think much of it, but I do recall looking at the picture. It was nothing unusual or particularly invasive. It's just that Facebook knew it was me. This all happened sometime prior to 2016.

I wasn't too happy about being tagged but I literally forgot about it. Then one fine day between 2016 and 2020 I found a tweet on Twitter announcing that the state of Illinois was pursuing a class action law suit against Facebook regarding their unlawful tagging. Apparently Facebook neglected to tell folks they were collecting biometric data from all those family pictures people were posting. They did, however, use that data to tag people as I described above. I looked over the article and followed the link to the lawyers processing the claim. I qualified in that I was tagged and lived in Illinois so I filled out the form. They won the lawsuit and Facebook agreed to pay out I don't recall how many millions. My share would be the total payout divided by the number of valid claims. The attorneys thought it would be about $200. After I filed all the paperwork the lawyers sent a follow up letter wanting me to ascertain that I actually lived in Illinois at the specific time. I assured them I did and never heard from them afterwards. I kept all the paperwork and laughed it off because I assumed some legal loophole would disqualify me, or that some lawyer would use my share to buy his wife a dinner at a fancy restaurant.

I don't know what to say. You know how much I love Facebook. I stopped going there about the time I made the above claim. Against all odds and way beyond my wildest expectations, Facebook sent me a check for nearly twice the amount I was prepared for. Even more amazing is the fact that the legal system worked as intended. These are two once in a lifetime historic events that frankly overwhelmed me.

And, just because I figured I'm on a roll, I bought two (2) lottery tickets today. :lol:
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Kellemora
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Posts: 7494
Joined: 16 Feb 2015, 17:54

Re: Facebook Pays Up

Post by Kellemora »

WOW, now that is awesome to win that much! Great Going! You rarely get much out of a class action lawsuit, because the lawyers burn it all up in the exorbitant fees for handling the suit.

I think the highest amount I ever got out of a class action suit was around 16 bucks.
And I no longer remember what it was for either, hi hi.

I did join a class-action suit against Chantix for turning me into a diabetic overnight.
I was in the suit for a long time, then they decided to disqualify me a couple of years into it.
I got the big fancy letter as to why, but it was meaningless drivel.
I don't know a single person who was in that lawsuit who won anything.
The only folks who made money were the lawyers, which is one reason they file so many suits.

I hope you win big on your lottery tickets, hi hi.
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yogi
Posts: 9978
Joined: 14 Feb 2015, 21:49

Re: Facebook Pays Up

Post by yogi »

Like yourself over the years I have been party to several class action lawsuits. I don't recall the details now but I know I got something like $100 gift card from some outfit I purchased things from online. I had to spend it in their store, however. Seems like I got one of those $16 checks somewhere along the line too. But, most of the suits in which I made a claim didn't pay anything to me. Knowing how sleazy Facebook is I didn't expect a payout from them either. Apparently Illinois was not the only state involved in the suit but also apparent is the fact that not a lot of people made a claim. The settlement was for a lump sum to be distributed to all qualified claimants, which was above and beyond what the lawyers got. You are right to point out the legal expenses are astronomical and a lot of suits end up simply paying off the lawyers and court costs. Needless to say I am particularly elated and feel vindicated for all my complaints about how Facebook runs their business. The only decision to make now is what to do with the settlement.

I bought two lotto tickets yesterday. One drawing was last night and I won what I usually do: zero. The other ticket will be decided tonight. I don't expect to win any more than last night, but you never know.
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Kellemora
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Joined: 16 Feb 2015, 17:54

Re: Facebook Pays Up

Post by Kellemora »

Lawyers love class-action suits, probably because they make the most money from them, hi hi.

My brother used to buy me a pile of lottery tickets he picked the numbers for, each year for my birthday.
About three or four times I won over 100 bucks, but never over a thousand, when the grand prize was up in the millions.
I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed that you at least win something on that second ticket.
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