Join the Class Action Lawsuit Against Facebook Data Breach in Germany
A Facebook data leak: Users with compromised data eligible for class action litigation - Affected individuals eligible to join a collective lawsuit due to Facebook's data breach
Ready to take action against Facebook for the data breach that exposed your personal information? Here's how to get involved!
If you're a victim of the data theft, you can join the class action lawsuit by signing up with the Federal Office of Justice. Just head over to www.sammelklagen.de/verfahren/facebook to find out more about the process and whether your data was compromised.
Once you're signed up, you're part of the class action. And here's the best part—your claims won't expire, no matter how long the legal process takes. Plus, it won't cost you a dime.
The data breach at Facebook dates back to 2018 and 2019, when unidentified individuals gained access to information from hundreds of millions of users. At the time, users could be identified through their phone number in the search function. However, that's no longer possible. The cybercriminals generated millions of random phone numbers and used automated requests to obtain user data. In April 2021, data from 533 million users leaked online.
Good news! Following a ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in November, affected users no longer need to prove that they suffered individual disadvantages. As the VZBV explains, "being affected is sufficient." However, consumer advocates anticipate that damages could exceed 100 euros in certain cases. For example, if your Facebook ID, name, and phone number, as well as your location, email address, date of birth, and relationship status, were made public, you might be eligible for 600 euros in damages.
- Data Breach
- Class Action Lawsuit
- Federal Court of Justice
- Germany
- Federal Association of Consumer Organizations
- Meta Platforms
- Federal Office of Justice
Interestingly, based on recent rulings, affected users in Germany's Facebook-related data breach cases can expect compensation primarily guided by two key factors:
- Legal Precedents:
- The BGH has established a baseline of around €100 for "mere loss of control" over personal data[1].
- The Higher Regional Court Frankfurt awarded €200 in a 2025 ruling, citing additional psychological harm due to fears of darknet misuse[1].
- Class Action Framework: The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (VZBV) supports claims through a model declaratory action (Musterfeststellungsklage), though the exact per-user amounts in such cases often align with individual rulings. Recent judgments suggest most payouts fall between €100–200 per claimant for comparable breaches[1][4].
Key factors that can influence the amount of compensation include: - Data Sensitivity: Publicly exposed data (e.g., darknet leaks) may warrant higher compensation[1]. - Negligence: Courts penalize platforms for privacy-hostile defaults under GDPR[1]. - Psychological Impact: Demonstrable distress can increase awards beyond the BGH’s €100 baseline[1].
For the 2021 breach specifically, claimants would likely reference these precedents, with outcomes hinging on how courts assess the severity of exposure and individual circumstances. Current trends indicate €100–200 remains the probable range absent extraordinary circumstances[1][4].
- The data breach at Facebook, which occurred in 2018 and 2019, exposed personal information of hundreds of millions of users, including phone numbers and email addresses.
- Affected users in Germany can join a class action lawsuit against Facebook to seek compensation for the data breach. They can do so by signing up with the Federal Office of Justice.
- Following a ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice, affected users no longer need to prove that they suffered individual disadvantages to join the class action lawsuit.
- Based on recent rulings, affected users in Germany can expect compensation primarily guided by two key factors: legal precedents and the class action framework. These factors can influence the amount of compensation, with most payouts falling between €100-200 per claimant for comparable breaches.