Facebook data leak: from today, those affected can really cash in!

Goodbye data protection? Now the Federation of German Consumer Organizations is suing Meta

Millions of data that should never have ended up online are at stake - and now also millions of euros. Anyone who used Facebook in 2018 or 2019 could be entitled to up to 600 euros in damages. Today, the Federal Office of Justice opened the register of claims for a model declaratory action against Meta (formerly Facebook). Those affected can now register there - free of charge, without risk and with great potential for redress.

The scandal: Scraping on Facebook - and Meta was watching

The background to this is a gigantic data protection leak that came to light back in 2018. Unknown persons were able to automatically access public profiles via a developer interface and siphon off masses of phone numbers, email addresses, birthdays, relationship statuses and other private information. The process is called "scraping" - and was recognized and stopped far too late by Meta.

The result: 419 million data records appeared online in 2019. Millions of Facebook users in Germany were also affected. And the company? Made excuses with a "technical error". Although the Irish data protection authority imposed a fine of 265 million euros in 2022, consumers themselves have so far come away empty-handed. This is now set to end.

The BGH has confirmed it: Loss of control = real damage

The most important tailwind for the lawsuit is a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice in November 2023, where Germany's highest civil court ruled that the loss of control over personal data is already immaterial damage - even if there are no financial consequences. In concrete terms, this means that if you no longer know where your data is floating around, you are entitled to compensation. Period.

This is exactly where the consumer protection organization vzbv comes in - and calculates with 600 euros per person, depending on which data was affected. Anyone who registers now secures their chance - at no cost and without the need for a lawyer.

How the lawsuit works - and what you need to do now

The action is being brought as a model declaratory action. This means that the vzbv is suing on behalf of all those affected. If the court rules in favor of the consumers, they can later assert their individual claims in a simplified procedure - without having to prove everything again.

Entry requirement:
You must have had a public Facebook profile in 2018 or 2019 on which personal data such as your telephone number or email address was visible. The vzbv offers an online test tool that you can use to check whether you are affected.

You can now register with the Federal Office of Justice's register of complaints. Important: Registration is free of charge - and does not oblige you to do anything.

No pardon for tech giants:

A different wind is finally blowing! For far too long, tech giants like Meta got away with a simple "oops" when millions of data were leaked. This lawsuit is an important sign: Data privacy isn't just mandatory - it comes at a cost when you violate it.

Anyone who earns billions with user data must not duck out in the event of data breaches. And anyone affected should sign up now - not just because of the 600 euros, but because it's about self-determination in the digital space. An end to the free culture for corporations - now is the time to sue back.