Privacy experts say tracking cookies are the epitome of predatory data capitalism. They say Meta’s latest record-breaking settlement shows regulators are finally realizing the harm they’re doing to end users.

On February 15, 2022, Meta agreed to pay $90 million to settle a decade-long data privacy lawsuit brought over its use of tracking cookies to track Facebook users across the web.

"This settlement is a huge victory for consumer privacy around the world," Nicola Nye, chief of staff at Fastmail, told Lifewire via email. "Regardless of what you think of the motives behind the settlement, the outcome is a glorious milestone for consumer rights."

“Facebook, Google, Amazon and other internet giants that make money from online advertising do so by placing a cookie on your device when you use their apps or websites,” Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate and editor of infosec research at Comparitech, told Lifewire in an email.