In a significant major to a prolonged legal battle, Meta has reached a substantial settlement with Australia’s privacy watchdog (ACCC) in response to allegations tied to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has agreed to a record A$50 million settlement with Australia in response to a major privacy lawsuit.

The resolution marks the end of years of legal proceedings over allegations that the personal data of 311,127 Australian Facebook users was improperly exposed and at risk of being shared with the consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.

The Silicon Valley tech giant, known for using such data for political profiling, was involved in work related to the Brexit campaign and Donald Trump’s election.

The Australian privacy watchdog launched the case in 2020 after it was revealed that Facebook’s personality quiz app, This is Your Digital Life, was connected to the broader Cambridge Analytica scandal, which was first exposed in 2018.

Australian Information Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd described the settlement as the largest of its kind in the country, addressing significant privacy concerns.

Outcome highlights Australia’s growing resolve in holding global tech firms accountable for user data protection.

According to Meta the agreement was reached on a “no admission” basis, marking an end to the legal battle. The case had already secured a significant victory for Australian regulators when the high court declined Meta’s appeal in 2023, forcing the company into mediation.

This is just one of many privacy breaches by Meta. Last year, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission reached a settlement of A$20 million with Meta companies over claims that its Onavo VPN service misled users about how their data would be used.