Meta Agrees To Pay Texas $1.4 Billion Settlement In Biometric Data Lawsuit

In a 2022 lawsuit, Mr. Paxton accused Facebook’s parent company of using facial recognition technology to collect biometric data of more than 20 million Texans without their permission. The information was captured in photos and videos uploaded to the social media platform, according to the 29-page lawsuit.

The settlement is the largest obtained in a lawsuit brought by a single state, according to Mr. Paxton’s office.

“After vigorously pursuing justice for our citizens whose privacy rights were violated by Meta’s use of facial recognition software, I’m proud to announce that we have reached the largest settlement ever obtained from an action brought by a single State,” Mr. Paxton said. “Any abuse of Texans’ sensitive data will be met with the full force of the law.”

Source: Zerohedge.com, July 30, 2024

Read more about website visitor privacy

Pew Research has an interesting article on the platform. It's dated, since it was created 08, but there are trends that ring today I think.

They found that about half of Facebook users say they are not comfortable when they see how the platform categorizes them, and almost 30% are sure the site’s classifications do not accurately represent them.

Facebook makes it fairly simple for users to find out how the platform algorithm categorizes their interests via a “Your ad preferences” page.

The catch is that, according to PEW, 74% of Facebook users didn't understand this list of their traits and interests existed until they were directed to their page as part of tthe PEW research project.

Success with an online business depends on content marketing that includes social media. There will always be modifications to platforms and it's necessary to stay informed to keep your website and business optimized.

A recent article is reporting that Facebook and Instagram's metric of potential reachable viewership uses inflated figures by up to 400%, according to a lawsuit.

Trishla Ostwal says, “According to a class-action lawsuit brought by Facebook and Instagram advertisers, Meta’s metrics flub owes them potential damages exceeding $7 billion.”

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco is allowing advertisers to move forward with the lawsuit.

It is believed that the number of social media accounts does include bots and fake accounts.

Meta denied the allegations, explaining that the price advertisers are charged is based on performance metrics.

From Geoffrey Graber, partner at Cohen Milstein and lead counsel representing the advertisers, “We look forward to continuing to litigate this case on behalf of Meta’s advertising customers and to presenting the evidence to a jury that Meta knew about its inflated Potential Reach and refused to fix the issue due to revenue concerns.”

Former Meta advertisers DZ Reserve and Cain Maxwell initiated the legal case in 2018. Following the filing of the complaint, DZ Reserve ceased operations with Meta and it is not know if Maxwell’s business is still operational.

Court document state the advertisers allege Meta fraudulently misrepresented the “Potential Reach” of advertisements on its platforms by stating that Potential Reach was an estimate of people, although it was actually an estimate of accounts.

Facebook was the first tech giant organizing its features around collecting user data of people around the world, next came the Meta Universe which is down on users/subscribers. It makes me wonder if Meta will ever see the number of users it once had before the plandemic.

According to the Forbes, “Meta has a poor track record when it comes to treating the personal data people share on the platform with the respect it deserves, which prompted various lawsuits and fines.”

The Cambridge Analytica scandal involved Facebook of selling the private information of tens of millions of Americans without their knowledge, resulting in a record-breaking $5 billion fine in 2019.

When navigating in Meta/Facebook and making posts or replying to another post, be thoughtful about what you are saying. It’s good to remember that any account on the platform can read your post. To you, the veribage and images in your content may seem insignificant. To others, your post content helps them understand you, your behaviors, and your connections which includes what is important to you.

1. You’re asked to send money online.
2. Strange grammar, spelling, or formatting in their messages.
3. New accounts with few friends or followers.
4. Too-good-to-be true deals on Facebook Marketplace.
5. Perfect” profile photos and few details.
6. Unsolicited messages that create a sense of urgency.
7. Requests for personal information or login information.
8. Look-alike profiles for your friends and contacts.
9. Links to strange websites.

Read more information on current Facebook and Meta scams and another article from Facebook Help.

If your Facebook account has been hacked, Readers Digest has some ideas on how to recover it, and this link is Facebook Support to resolve your account.