This lawsuit has been a long time in the making. End the Lie first reported on the activities of the group, known as “Europe v. Facebook” and headed up by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems, in June 2013.
The particular lawsuit at issue was first filed in August and involves 25,000 plaintiffs from Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia. A total of 75,000 users have applied to join the case.
Each of the plaintiffs is attempting to claim 500 euros from the social networking powerhouse.
Citing Facebook’s participation in the National Security Agency’s PRISM program, the suit claims that the tech giant illegally used their data and is guilty of a “large number” of violation of users’ rights, according to Austrian news outlet The Local.
The lawsuit is now heading for its first hearing on April 9 in a court in Vienna, which will be the first time Facebook will appear in court over the case, according to Techcrunch.
If the plaintiffs win, Facebook could stand to lose some $14 million. In addition to monetary damages, the plaintiffs are demanding a “suspension of data usage” by Facebook.
“Perhaps most importantly, if won — or even if simply prolonged in the public arena — the case could do a lot in PR damage,” Techcrunch notes. “And if Facebook actually loses the case, it could result in orders for Facebook to change its practices in the region.”