What assurances did Facebook give users about their data?

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Facebook Assurances on User Data Privacy

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has agreed to a US$90 million settlement to resolve a decade-old lawsuit. This legal action alleged that Facebook tracked users' online activity even after they logged off the platform, which contradicted earlier assurances provided by the company. The suit, representing individuals with active Facebook accounts between early 2010 and late 2011, claimed that Facebook violated privacy guidelines by monitoring visits to external web pages embedded with Facebook "like" buttons.
Tracking of External Web Pages

The core of the lawsuit centred on Facebook's practice of tracking users' visits to third-party websites that featured Facebook content, such as the "like" button. According to court filings, Facebook possessed the capability to identify when a user visited a page containing its embedded content. This data could then be linked back to individual user profiles, enabling more precise ad targeting.
Contradiction of Company Promises

The legal filings asserted that this tracking activity was in direct contradiction to the assurances Facebook had previously given to its users. While the specific details of these assurances are not elaborated upon in the provided material, the implication is that Facebook had represented to its users that such off-platform tracking would not occur. The settlement aims to address the concerns raised by these alleged breaches of privacy.
Settlement Terms and Data Deletion

The proposed settlement, if approved by a judge, would require Meta to allocate US$90 million to a claims fund. A significant component of the agreement includes the deletion of all data that the lawsuit argued was collected improperly. A Meta spokesperson stated that reaching a settlement in this long-standing case is considered to be in the best interest of the company's community and shareholders, allowing them to move past the issue.

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What assurances did Facebook give users about their data?

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