The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has reached an agreement to pay $12.5 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging unauthorized sharing of its members' video-viewing information with Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook.
The legal action contended that AARP violated the federal Video Privacy Protection Act by permitting the use of Meta’s tracking technology, specifically the Meta Pixel, on AARP.org web pages that host video content. This pixel reportedly collected identifying data related to videos watched by users.
Though AARP has consistently denied any violations, the organization opted to settle the case to bring an end to the litigation process, which has been underway in federal court in California since 2022. The settlement establishes a $12.5 million fund intended to compensate qualifying claimants.
Eligibility to receive a payout from the fund requires claimants to meet several criteria: individuals must have viewed video content on the AARP.org website between September 27, 2020, and September 12, 2025, while physically within the United States. Additionally, they must have maintained an active Facebook account during that timeframe and also been either an AARP member or a registered user of AARP.org at the time they viewed the video content.
Payments to eligible class members are projected to range from roughly $47 to $237, with amounts depending on the quantity of validated claims submitted before the December 31, 2025, deadline. It is important to note that the total settlement amount will not be distributed entirely to the claimants. Administrative fees, litigation costs, service awards to class representatives, and attorneys’ fees will be deducted from the fund before distributing the remainder evenly among approved claimants.
As part of the resolution, AARP has committed to curtail or eliminate its use of Meta's tracking tools on specific video sections of its website. This undertaking aims to reduce or prevent the recurrence of the type of data sharing alleged in the lawsuit.
This settlement arises in a broader context where companies employing third-party tracking technologies on websites, particularly in connection with video content, face scrutiny over user privacy implications.