AT&T's agreement to pay $177 million in a nationwide class-action settlement has set off a wave of inquiries from current and former customers seeking to determine whether they qualify for payments that could reach as high as $7,500. The settlement, tied to two major data breaches disclosed in 2024, covers tens of millions of people whose personal information or call-metadata records were exposed as litigation mounted against one of the nation's largest telecommunications providers.
The disclosures began in March 2024, when AT&T confirmed that a dataset from 2019 or earlier had surfaced on the dark web. The leaked records included names, addresses, dates of birth, billing account numbers, phone numbers, email addresses, and in some cases, Social Security numbers. Four months later, the company revealed a second breach involving a third-party cloud storage vendor, noting that metadata for calls and texts-such as phone numbers, call durations, and message counts-had been illegally downloaded. AT&T said content of calls was not accessed, though the scale of the metadata exposure led to heightened privacy concerns.
As lawsuits piled up, the cases were consolidated in March 2025. AT&T continued to deny wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement to resolve claims stemming from both incidents. According to filings, $149 million is reserved for customers affected by the first breach and $28 million for those whose data was compromised in the second.
Eligibility depends on which breach impacted an individual, according to Kroll Settlement Administration, the court-appointed overseer. Customers whose Social Security numbers were leaked fall into Tier 1 and may receive up to $7,500. Those whose personal information-but not Social Security numbers-was exposed are in Tier 2, with typical payments of $400 to $700. For customers in the second breach category, where metadata was compromised, payouts generally range from $100 to $200. Individuals affected by both breaches may qualify for compensation from each fund.
Notifications were sent by email or post to customers believed to be part of the settlement, but eligibility does not depend on having received a notice. The official claims portal at www.telecomdatasettlement.com allows users to verify status using a Class Member ID or through a manual eligibility form. Claimants may submit a Tier Cash Payment request or pursue a Documented Loss Cash Payment, which requires proof of financial harm such as invoices or credit-monitoring expenses.
AT&T customers-current or former-must file by December 18, 2025. Mailed forms must be postmarked by the same date. Failure to submit a claim results in forfeiture of payment, the administrator said. A final court hearing expected in early 2026 will determine distribution timing, which depends on the volume of valid submissions and administrative costs.
