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A judge has approved a mass legal battle against Facebook owner Meta, potentially worth £3 billion.
Spearheaded by legal scholar Dr. Liza Lovdahl Gormsen, the lawsuit represents around 45 million Facebook users.
Initially dismissed in 2023, a revised lawsuit has been accepted, with a hearing expected by early 2026.
Meta contests the allegations.
The lawsuit argues Facebook unfairly exploited its market dominance.
It says they they are without foundation, and intends to defend against them robustly.
The platform has allegedly compelled users to share their data from non-Facebook sources, including Instagram and other third-party websites.
It effectively makes data sharing a prerequisite for using the Facebook platform.
The lawsuit accuses Facebook's business model, which relies on advertising revenue.
It is said to infringe on user privacy by necessitating extensive data collection to refine ad targeting, thereby enhancing its advertising income.
The legal claim seeks compensation between £2.07 and £3.1 billion, covering those with Facebook accounts from February 2016 to October 2023.
It will be deliberated in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
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Meta said the "fundamental concerns identified by the tribunal in its February 2023 judgement have not been resolved".
It was "committed to giving people meaningful control" of the information they shared on its platforms and to "invest heavily to create tools that allow them to do so."
This lawsuit is financially supported by Innsworth, a litigation funding firm with a history of backing major legal actions.
It includes cases against Mastercard, Ericsson, and Volkswagen.
In 2023, Meta settled a privacy lawsuit in the US by paying $725 million (£583 million) to Facebook account holders.
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