Twitter, Instagram, 6 others to kick in $5.3M in privacy suit settlement

A settlement filed in federal court in San Francisco Monday would have eight companies – including Twitter, Yelp, Instagram and Foursquare – kick in $5.3 million to pay consumers in a lawsuit filed in 2012.

In the suit against Apple as well as social media and messaging companies, consumers claimed that app makers like Kik didn't tell that Apple iOS “Find Friends” feature ported their contacts to company servers, a clear violation of their privacy, they contended.

Under the terms of the settlement, Fortune reported, anyone who downloaded apps like Path to an Apple device between 2009-2012, would receive a check or Amazon.com credits. The $5.3 million is part of a larger kitty funded by the companies targeted in the suit. Those companies must notify affected consumers via email – though Twitter can make its notification via a tweet.