The $177 million AT&T data breach settlement has not been approved. Judge Ada E. Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held the final approval hearing on January 15, 2026, but as of an April 23, 2026 update on the official settlement website, the court was still considering the deal and had given no timeline for a decision.1TelecomDataSettlement.com. AT&T Data Incident Settlement No payments have gone out, and none will until the judge rules.
Where the Case Stands
Judge Brown granted preliminary approval on June 20, 2025, which cleared the way for notice and claims.2U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. In Re AT&T Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, Preliminary Approval Order The settlement administrator, Kroll, began contacting class members in August 2025. The claim filing window ran through December 18, 2025, after an extension from the original November 18 deadline.3Pensacola News Journal. Deadline AT&T Data Breach Settlement Application
The final approval hearing was originally set for December 3, 2025, then moved to January 15, 2026.4KFOR. Deadlines for $177M AT&T Settlement Nearing It ran roughly six hours.5The Lanier Law Firm. Kyle Schnitzer Attorney Profile The court has not issued its ruling since.
An earlier attempt by a group of class members to challenge the preliminary approval order at the Fifth Circuit was dismissed with prejudice in October 2025, so that particular obstacle is gone.6U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. In Re AT&T Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, Plaintiffs Unopposed Motion for Final Approval Still pending alongside the settlement itself is class counsel’s fee request of roughly $59 million, close to a third of the fund.7New Haven Register. AT&T Data Breach Settlement Attorney Fees
What Has to Happen Before Payments Go Out
Three things stand between class members and any money:
- The court has to grant final approval.
- Any appeal deadlines have to pass without a challenge, or any appeals filed have to be resolved.
- Kroll has to finish reviewing every timely claim form.1TelecomDataSettlement.com. AT&T Data Incident Settlement
Only after all three does the administrator begin issuing payments. There is no published estimate of how long that sequence will take.
What the Settlement Would Pay if Approved
The deal splits the $177 million into two non-reversionary funds, meaning AT&T does not get back anything left over. The AT&T 1 Fund, covering the March 2024 dark-web incident, holds $149 million. The AT&T 2 Fund, covering the July 2024 Snowflake incident involving call and text metadata, holds $28 million.8AT&T Settlement Agreement. Settlement Agreement, In Re AT&T Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation
Claimants who documented out-of-pocket losses traceable to a breach can claim up to $5,000 from the AT&T 1 Fund and up to $2,500 from the AT&T 2 Fund. Someone eligible under both classes can receive up to $7,500 in total.9CBS News. AT&T Data Breach Settlement
Everyone else who filed a valid claim gets a pro rata tier payment from what remains after fees, costs, and documented-loss claims. In the AT&T 1 class, people whose Social Security numbers were exposed (Tier 1) receive five times what people whose other personal data was exposed but not SSNs (Tier 2) receive. AT&T 2 class members receive a Tier 3 payment. The actual dollar figures per tier cannot be calculated until fees are set and total valid claims are counted.8AT&T Settlement Agreement. Settlement Agreement, In Re AT&T Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation
What to Do if You Filed a Claim
The claims period has closed, so no new claims can be submitted. If you filed by December 18, 2025, there is nothing further to do while the court considers the case. Kroll is processing submissions in the meantime.1TelecomDataSettlement.com. AT&T Data Incident Settlement
To check on your claim or watch for updates, use the official settlement site at telecomdatasettlement.com or call Kroll Settlement Administration at (833) 890-4930.10ABC10. AT&T Data Breach Settlement Deadline Any announcement of final approval will appear there first, along with instructions about payment timing.
Two Other AT&T Settlements That Are Not This One
Two unrelated AT&T cases turn up in the same searches and can cause confusion. Neither has anything to do with the 2024 data breaches.
In Re: AT&T Mobility Wireless Data Services Sales Tax Litigation (Case No. 1:10-cv-02278, MDL No. 2147) concerned AT&T charging taxes on internet access in violation of the Internet Tax Freedom Act, covering bills from November 2005 through September 2010. That case was approved years ago in the Northern District of Illinois and is closed.11ATTMSettlement.com. AT&T Mobility Wireless Data Services Sales Tax Litigation Settlement
The FTC’s $60 million settlement with AT&T over data-throttling on “unlimited” plans is also separate. A final $6.3 million round of refunds under that case began going out in April 2024.12Federal Trade Commission. FTC Sends Refunds to Former AT&T Wireless Customers Who Were Subject to Data Throttling If you received a payment already, it did not come from the $177 million data breach fund, which has not yet paid anyone.