August 2023 Class Action Settlements Involve Facebook, DirecTV, Mattress Firm
Consumers may be eligible to participate in 10 settlements with claim deadlines in August. The settlements provide compensation for data privacy and other legal issues.
August 2023 Class Action Settlements
Deadlines are quickly approaching, so act fast.
Roblox Purchases $10M Class Action Settlement
Roblox agreed to a $10 million settlement to resolve claims it allowed children to make excessive in-game purchases and later deleted purchased content to cover their tracks.
The settlement benefits consumers who had a Roblox account before May 11, 2023, and who had purchased content moderated and removed by Roblox.
The Roblox class action lawsuit claims the online platform knowingly took advantage of children — the app’s primary user base — by allowing them to make large purchases. Roblox allegedly deleted purchased content under the guise of moderation, which made parents unable to seek refunds for their children’s large purchases.
The deadline to submit a claim with the settlement is Aug. 10, 2023.
Meta Platforms Location Data Privacy $37.5M Class Action Settlement
Meta agreed to pay $37.5 million to resolve claims it identified Facebook users’ locations using IP addresses, despite settings to prevent this tracking.
The settlement benefits Facebook users who used the app between Jan. 30, 2015, and April 18, 2018, and whose iOS or Android location settings did not allow Facebook to track their location data but whose location information was inferred by Facebook through IP address information.
According to the Facebook class action lawsuit, Meta used user IP addresses to infer location information even when users attempted to prevent this by turning off location settings on their devices. Plaintiffs in the case claim Meta violated their privacy rights through IP location tracking.
The deadline to submit a claim with the settlement is Aug. 11, 2023.
Artnaturals Hand Sanitizer Benzene $3.1M Class Action Settlement
Virgin Scent agreed to pay $3.08 million to resolve claims its Artnaturals hand sanitizer contains benzene, a known carcinogen.
The settlement benefits consumers who purchased Artnaturals hand sanitizer products between Jan. 1, 2015, and May 23, 2023.
Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit claim Artnaturals hand sanitizer contained dangerously high levels of benzene for years, putting consumers at risk for leukemia and other blood disorders.
Consumers allegedly had no idea they were putting them at risk for contact with a known human carcinogen.
The deadline to submit a claim with the settlement is Aug. 12, 2023.
Mattress Firm Bed Tech Frame $4.9M Class Action Lawsuit Settlement
Mattress Firm agreed to a $4.9 million class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims it sold Bed Tech frames that are prone to collapse.
The settlement benefits consumers who purchased a Bed Tech HR Platform bed frame (model numbers HR33, HR33XL, HR46, HR50, HR60 and HR66) between April 8, 2015, and April 8, 2021.
Global Home, the manufacturer of Bed Tech frames, recalled the bed frames in March 2021 after 100 consumers reported that their frames collapsed unexpectedly.
Plaintiffs in the Mattress Firm class action lawsuit claim these collapses can lead to injury or even death.
The deadline to submit a claim with the settlement is Aug. 4, 2023.
Fashion Nova $4.2M FTC Settlement
Fashion Nova agreed to a $4.2 million settlement to resolve a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit claiming the company deleted negative reviews.
The settlement benefits consumers who purchased products online from Fashion Nova before Nov. 21, 2019, whose purchase decisions were influenced by reviews, but who were not satisfied with their unrefunded purchases.
According to the FTC, Fashion Nova removed lower ratings and negative reviews from its website in order to make its products look more attractive to shoppers. As a result of these practices, reviews with three stars or fewer were allegedly not allowed on the website. Consumers were deceived by the lack of negative reviews, the FTC claims.
The deadline to file a claim to receive a refund from the FTC settlement is Aug. 15, 2023.
Turkish Airlines Flight Cancellations Class Action Settlement
Turkish Airlines agreed to a class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims that it didn’t refund consumers whose flights were canceled due to COVID-19.
The settlement benefits consumers whose Turkish Airlines flights scheduled for March 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021, were canceled by the airlines who did not request or receive a voucher for rebooking or a chargeback from their card provider.
Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit claim Turkish Airlines failed to refund them for canceled flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although federal regulations required these flights to be canceled, consumers claim they should have automatically received a full cash refund from the airline.
The deadline to submit a claim with the settlement is Aug. 18, 2023.
Facebook User Profile Data Privacy $725M Class Action Settlement
In another Facebook privacy settlement, Meta agreed to pay $725 million to resolve claims it shared user data with third parties without permission.
The settlement benefits Facebook users who used the app between May 24, 2007, and Dec. 22, 2022.
Plaintiffs in the Facebook class action lawsuit claim Meta shared their user data and friend information without their consent. This information was allegedly shared with third parties, after which Meta failed to monitor and enforce third-party access and use, the class action lawsuit contends.
The deadline to submit a claim with the settlement is Aug. 25, 2023.
DirecTV Unsolicited Calls $16.85M Class Action Settlement
DirecTV agreed to pay $16.85 million to resolve claims it violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) with unsolicited robocalls.
The settlement benefits consumers who received more than one telemarketing call from DirecTV within any 12-month period despite their number being listed on the National Do Not Call Registry.
According to the TCPA class action lawsuit, DirecTV violated federal law by contacting consumers with unsolicited telemarketing phone calls. These calls were allegedly placed to numbers that were registered on the National Do Not Call Registry, a list that allows consumers to universally opt out of telemarketing communications.
The deadline to file a claim with the settlement is Aug. 7, 2023.
Midwestern Pet Foods Aflatoxin, Salmonella Contamination $6.375M Class Action Settlement
Midwestern Pet Foods agreed to a $6.375 million settlement to resolve class action lawsuit claims that its dog food was contaminated with dangerous levels of aflatoxin and salmonella.
The settlement benefits consumers who purchased recalled Midwestern Pet Foods or Nunn Milling Co. pet food products.
Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit claim certain Midwestern Pet Foods products were contaminated with aflatoxin and salmonella. Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause severe gastrointestinal distress while aflatoxin is a cancer-causing toxin produced by fungi in certain crops.
The deadline to file a claim with the settlement is Aug. 3, 2023.
Biomat, Talecris Plasma, Interstate Blood Bank BIPA $16.75M Class Action Settlement
Three Grifols blood banks agreed to pay a combined $16.75 million to resolve claims that they violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
The settlement benefits consumers who scanned their fingers during the plasma donation process at a Biomat USA or Talecris Plasma Resources center in Illinois between June 10, 2015, and June 10, 2022.
According to the class action lawsuit, Biomat, Talecris Plasma Resources and Interstate Blood Bank collected plasma donor fingerprints without first getting their consent. This allegedly violated BIPA which restricts the way that businesses can collect, use and store biometrics such as fingerprints.
The deadline to file a claim with the settlement is Aug. 24, 2023.
