Attention Facebook Users

BY KIM DICKSON
SC Staff Writer

 
Does anyone really read the Terms and Conditions for Facebook?

Most people, including myself, scroll through the long article explaining everything we as users need to know. There is a lot of important legal information in the article about the way Facebook works, privacy settings, and more.

Not too long ago Facebook developed “Sponsored Stories,” which are forms of advertising. They can use our activity on the site to promote a product or company to our “friends.”

Back in January I got an email that I thought was spam. It said that I was part of a class action lawsuit against Facebook for using me in the “Sponsored Stories” without my consent. I ignored the email, but did not delete it. I found out a couple weeks later that a friend of mine also got the email.

Both of us still thought it was spam. The name of the case is Fraley v. Facebook and it’s actually a real case. Any Facebook user that was used in the “Sponsored Stories” is a class member of this lawsuit and can receive up to ten dollars for it.

All of this information was brought to my attention from my Ethical and Legal Issues in Broadcasting class.

My class was divided on how they felt about the issue. Was it OK for Facebook to use its users as an advertising tool? Or are we as users agreeing to be used however Facebook pleases?

“It’s not worth fighting for a few bucks,” said senior Riane Hughes who also got the email but didn’t think anything of it. “I don’t think they have the right to use us as their Sponsored Stories without our permission…this whole situation is bad publicity for Facebook and it just looks like they sold out.”

Maybe somewhere in all the scrolling we’ve all done to get to the end of the Terms and Conditions there was some important form of information that says Facebook can use us in that way.

Even if it wasn’t there originally that information is there now thanks to this lawsuit.

You can find the information that was sent in email on www.fraleyfacebooksettlement.com.

If you received the email and didn’t delete it, you can click on the link within the email, which will bring you to the same page. From there you can choose to submit a claim form to collect your money, or you can exclude yourself from the case.

The last day to submit a claim form is May 2, 2013.

Email Kim at:
ksd8013@live.esu.edu