In a landmark decision, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has ruled in favor of Facebook users affected by a massive data breach in 2021, where data from 533 million users was leaked online.

The court has set a precedent by lowering the barriers for victims to claim damages, requiring only proof of being affected by the breach, without needing to demonstrate misuse of their data or specific personal harm.

This decision is pivotal for thousands of similar cases pending in German courts.

However, the compensation for mere loss of data control is expected to be modest, with examples suggesting amounts like 100 euros.

The ruling also highlights the responsibility of platform operators like Facebook to secure user data, emphasizing that even giants of the internet can be held accountable for data protection failures.

The case will now return to the Cologne Higher Regional Court for further deliberation on specific details, including the extent of the data protection violation and the calculation of damages.