Meta's $9-million class-action settlement presented to Quebec judge for approval

A judge has heard from lawyers regarding a $9 million settlement that social media giant Meta has agreed to pay to settle a Quebec class action lawsuit over allegations of violating privacy by sharing information with third parties. A Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, June 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Thibault Camus

MONTREAL — A Quebec judge was presented with details today of a $9-million settlement that Facebook’s parent company has agreed to pay in a class-action lawsuit over alleged privacy violations.

Superior Court Justice Dominque Poulin will have to decide whether to accept the terms of the deal that was made public last year.

In the class action, plaintiffs accused Facebook of knowingly violating the rights of users by sharing their personal and private information with third parties.

Meta, which owns Facebook, agreed last year to settle the case without admitting liability.

No compensatory damage was sought in the case, which was authorized by the courts in 2021, and therefore class members won’t receive any money.

Instead, the $9 million — minus lawyers' fees — is to be divided equally among several Quebec universities to fund research and teaching activities aimed at promoting and protecting privacy rights.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2025.