Data breaches at AT&T have cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars, and customers can now join a class-action settlement to receive thousands in compensation.
The deadline to submit a claim is Thursday, Dec.18, for AT&T customers impacted in two separate data breach incidents in 2024. The telecommunications company has agreed to pay $177 million in settlement funds to eligible claimants, according to a news release by Kroll Settlement Administration, which is handling the claim.
The first incident happened on March 30, 2024, when names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, account passcodes, billing account numbers, and social security numbers were released on the dark web, the settlement website says.
Then, on July 12, 2024, a second data incident occurred in which limited data was illegally downloaded from an AT&T workspace on a third-party cloud platform.
AT&T does not dispute that the data breaches happened, but has denied any mishandling of data or wrongdoing, according to the news release from Kroll Settlement Administration. In a statement to USA TODAY, AT&T said it is “committed to protecting our customers’ data and ensuring their continued trust in us.”
Here’s what to know about who can file a claim.
Who can file a claim?
For the first incident, all people living in the United States who were impacted can file a claim, while in the second incident, all AT&T account owners or line users whose data were used may be eligible for compensation.
When is the deadline to file a claim?
The deadline to submit a claim has been updated to Thursday, Dec. 18, according to the settlement website. Online forms must be submitted by that date. Mailed claims must be postmarked by then.
A Final Approval Hearing will be held on January 15, 2026, the settlement website notes.
How to file a claim in the AT&T settlement
AT&T customers who are eligible for the settlement can file a claim online at www.telecomdatasettlement.com.
Claims can also be sent by mail to AT&T Data Incident Settlement, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 5324, New York, NY 10150-5324.
How much money can claimants get?
Eligible claimants can receive up to thousands of dollars, depending on which settlement class they are part of.
Customers affected by the first data incident can claim up to $5,000 through a documented loss cash payment option, meaning they must present documentation of the losses.
The second data incident involves a $2,500 payment. It is possible to have been impacted on both incidents, according to the settlement—which means customers could receive up to $7,500.
USA Today contributed to this story.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook. USA TODAY contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: AT&T data breach settlement to pay thousands to claimants. Who is eligible, how to apply
Reporting by Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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