AT&T agreed to pay $177 million to settle a class action over two 2024 data breaches, and the AT&T data breach settlement covers roughly 73 million people whose Social Security numbers and personal details leaked to the dark web in March 2024, plus nearly 110 million wireless customers whose call and text records were stolen from a cloud platform and disclosed in July 2024. The claim filing window closed on December 18, 2025. As of mid-2026, the settlement is still awaiting final approval from Judge Ada Brown in the Northern District of Texas, and no payments can be distributed until she rules and any appeal period runs out.1Telecom Data Settlement. Telecom Data Settlement Homepage
Which Breaches the Settlement Covers
The deal resolves claims from two separate incidents, and the distinction matters because payouts are calculated separately for each.
The first, referred to in the settlement as AT&T 1, is the dark-web release AT&T acknowledged on March 30, 2024. The exposed records covered about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former customers, with data dating from 2019 or earlier. Compromised fields included Social Security numbers, dates of birth, names, email and mailing addresses, phone numbers, AT&T account numbers, and account passcodes.2AT&T. Addressing Data Set Released on Dark Web
The second, AT&T 2, is the Snowflake-related breach disclosed on July 12, 2024. Hackers accessed an AT&T workspace on the third-party cloud platform between April 14 and April 25, 2024, and took call and text metadata covering May 1 through October 31, 2022, along with records from January 2, 2023. Stolen data included the phone numbers customers interacted with, the number of interactions, aggregate call durations, and, for some customers, cell site identifiers that could approximate location. The content of calls and texts, Social Security numbers, and customer names were not part of that theft.3SEC. AT&T Inc. Form 8-K Nearly all of AT&T’s cellular customers were affected, including subscribers of mobile virtual network operators that use the AT&T network.4Office of Senator Blumenthal. Blumenthal, Hawley Demand Answers From AT&T, Snowflake Following Massive Data Breach
AT&T denied all allegations and any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.5PR Newswire. AT&T Data Incident Settlement Notice
Who Qualifies and the Tier System
The $177 million is split into two non-reversionary cash funds: $149 million for AT&T 1 claimants and $28 million for AT&T 2 claimants.6ABC7. AT&T Data Breach $177 Million Settlement
The AT&T 1 Settlement Class covers all living U.S. residents whose personal data was part of the March 2024 dark-web release. Within it, Tier 1 members had their Social Security numbers exposed. Tier 2 members had other information exposed but not their Social Security numbers.
The AT&T 2 Settlement Class covers AT&T account owners or line and end users whose call and text metadata was in the Snowflake breach. These claimants fall into Tier 3.
People who fit both classes are designated Overlap Settlement Class Members and can file claims against both funds.7CCH. AT&T Settlement Agreement
What Claimants Can Receive
Class members had to choose between two payment types on their claim form.
Documented Loss payments reimburse out-of-pocket expenses fairly traceable to the breach, with receipts or other objective proof required. The cap is $5,000 per person for AT&T 1 claims, covering losses from 2019 onward, and $2,500 for AT&T 2 claims, covering losses on or after April 14, 2024. An overlap claimant filing under both could receive up to $7,500 combined.8Time. AT&T Data Breach Settlement: How to File a Claim
Members without documented losses could elect a tiered cash payment instead. This is a pro rata share of whatever remains in the relevant fund after administrative costs, attorney fees, and documented-loss payments come off the top. Tier 1 payments, for people whose Social Security numbers were exposed, are set at five times the Tier 2 amount. The exact per-person dollar figure depends on how many valid claims were filed and won’t be known until the administrator finishes processing.9Telecom Data Settlement. Settlement FAQ
Class counsel has asked the court for $59 million in fees, one-third of the total fund. The Lanier Law Firm, which led the AT&T 1 litigation, sought $49.67 million plus up to about $565,000 in costs. Kopelowitz Ostrow Ferguson Weiselberg Gilbert sought $9.33 million plus about $231,000 in costs on the AT&T 2 side. Whatever the court awards comes out of the funds before tiered cash payments are calculated.10Greenwich Time. AT&T Data Breach Settlement Attorney Fees
Where the Case Stands and When Payments Happen
Judge Brown granted preliminary approval on June 20, 2025, and Kroll Settlement Administration began sending notices by email and postcard in August 2025.11Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy. CPM Announces Settlement of AT&T Data Breach The key dates:
- October 17, 2025 — deadline to opt out or object.
- December 18, 2025 — extended final deadline to submit a claim (originally November 18, 2025).
- January 15, 2026 — final approval hearing before Judge Brown, which ran six hours.10Greenwich Time. AT&T Data Breach Settlement Attorney Fees
Out of a potential class of roughly 2 million people, only 1,556 opted out and 15 filed objections, according to the plaintiffs’ unopposed motion for final approval filed in November 2025.12AboutLawsuits.com. Final Approval AT&T Data Breach Class Action Lawsuit Settlement A separate appeal by three individuals who had tried to intervene was dismissed by agreement in October 2025.13CourtListener. In Re AT&T Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation Docket
As of mid-2026, Judge Brown has not ruled. The claim window is closed, Kroll is processing what came in, and no money can go out until the court issues final approval and any post-ruling appeal period lapses. There is no public timeline for the decision. If you filed a claim, watch for updates from Kroll at the address or email you used on the claim form; if your contact information has changed, notify the administrator through the settlement website.1Telecom Data Settlement. Telecom Data Settlement Homepage
Don’t Confuse This With the FTC Throttling Refunds
A separate AT&T payout has been in the news recently and is unrelated. In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission reached a $60 million settlement with AT&T over allegations that the company slowed data speeds for customers on “unlimited” plans. AT&T distributed $52 million in credits and checks in 2020, and in April 2024 the FTC sent an additional $6.3 million to about 268,000 former customers who had filed valid claims but had not previously been paid. That matter, AT&T Mobility LLC (Mobile Data Service), FTC number 122-3253, has nothing to do with the 2024 data breaches or the $177 million class settlement.14FTC. AT&T Data Throttling Refunds