AARP has agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over claims it shared members’ video-watching data with Facebook without consent.
The lawsuit accused AARP of violating the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) by using Meta’s tracking tool (the Meta Pixel) on pages with video content. This allegedly allowed Facebook to link a person’s identity with the videos they watched on AARP.org.
AARP has denied wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement to resolve the case.
If you meet the requirements, you may be able to claim a cash payment.
Calculate Your 2026 COLA Increase →What Is the AARP Facebook Settlement About?
The case claims that when users with Facebook accounts watched videos on AARP.org, information such as:
- their identity, and
- the specific videos they watched
was sent to Meta through tracking software.
Under U.S. privacy law, this type of video-viewing data is protected and cannot be shared without consent.
The lawsuit says AARP’s setup violated this law.
The $12.5 million fund will be used to pay eligible users after legal costs and fees are deducted.
Who Is Eligible for the Settlement?
You may qualify if all of the following are true:
You:
- Watched video content on AARP.org
- Were physically in the United States at the time
- Had an active Facebook account at the same time
- Were either an AARP member or a registered AARP.org user
- Did this between September 27, 2020 and September 12, 2026
All of these conditions must have been met during the same time period.
How Much Money Can You Get?
Payments are estimated to be between:
$47 and $237 per person
The exact amount depends on how many people submit valid claims and how much money remains after legal fees and administrative costs are deducted.
What Do You Need to File a Claim?
To submit a claim, you had to:
- Provide your Facebook profile link, and
- Swear under oath that you met the eligibility rules
In some cases, you may also be asked for additional proof such as browser history showing you accessed video content on AARP.org.
Claim Deadline
The deadline to submit a claim was:
December 31, 2026
If you did not file by that date, you will not receive a payment.
When Will Payments Be Sent?
Payments will not be issued until:
- The court gives final approval, and
- Any appeals are resolved.
The final approval hearing is scheduled for:
February 10, 2026
This means payments are not expected before February 2026, and could take several more months if there are appeals or processing delays.
What Else Did AARP Agree to Do?
Besides paying the settlement, AARP also agreed to:
- Limit or stop the use of Meta Pixel on certain video pages
- Change how tracking works on its site to better protect user privacy
This is meant to prevent similar issues in the future.
Bottom Line
If you were an AARP member or registered user who watched videos on AARP.org while logged into Facebook between 2020 and 2026, you may have qualified for a payout from this settlement.
The claim deadline has passed, but approved claimants should watch for payments starting sometime after February 2026.
