Meta Settles Australian Privacy Case for $31.85 Million Amid Cambridge Analytica Fallout

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Meta Platforms has agreed to a settlement of A$50 million (approximately $31.85 million) with Australia's privacy regulator, resolving lengthy and costly legal proceedings related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The Australian Information Commissioner's office had accused Facebook of disclosing users' personal data to the personality quiz app "This is Your Digital Life" as part of the broader controversy.

These breaches were first reported by The Guardian in early 2018, and Facebook had already faced fines from the U.S. and UK regulators in 2019.

Australia's privacy regulator has been involved in the legal battle with Meta since 2020, as 311,127 Australian users' data was at risk of being exposed to Cambridge Analytica for profiling. In March 2023, the high court decided not to hear an appeal, allowing the case to proceed. In June 2023, the country's federal court ordered mediation between Meta and the privacy commissioner.

Elizabeth Tydd, Australia's Information Commissioner, called the settlement "the largest ever payment to address privacy concerns in Australia." The Cambridge Analytica scandal, where millions of Facebook users' data was used for political campaigns without their consent, involved the consulting firm aiding Donald Trump's campaign and the Brexit movement.

A Meta spokesperson stated that the company settled the lawsuit without admitting to any wrongdoing, bringing closure to the allegations about the company's past practices.

Paraphrasing text from "Reuters" all rights reserved by the original author.