The Lee Enterprises settlement isn’t one case — it’s two. A $9.5 million settlement resolving Video Privacy Protection Act claims received final approval in August 2025, and payments of $198.26 per approved claimant began going out on February 17, 2026. A separate settlement over the February 2025 ransomware attack that exposed the names and Social Security numbers of about 39,779 people is still open: claims are due May 26, 2026, and a final approval hearing is set for June 30, 2026. Which settlement applies to you depends on whether you received a data-breach notice letter or were a paying subscriber who watched videos on a Lee newspaper site.
The Data Breach Settlement (Fetes v. Lee Enterprises)
This is the settlement with an open claim window. It resolves Fetes, et al. v. Lee Enterprises, Inc., Case No. 3:25-cv-00067-SMR-SBJ, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa after the February 2025 ransomware attack.1ClassAction.org. Fetes v. Lee Enterprises Settlement Notice The court granted preliminary approval on January 23, 2026.2ClassAction.org. $600K Lee Enterprises Settlement Ends Class Action Lawsuit Over Data Breach
Who Qualifies
The settlement class covers all individuals identified as affected by the breach, which in practice means anyone who received a notice letter from Lee Enterprises about the incident.3Lee Enterprises Settlement. Fetes v. Lee Enterprises Settlement FAQ Lee’s forensic investigation, completed in early June 2025, identified roughly 39,779 people whose names and Social Security numbers were exposed.4SecurityWeek. Lee Enterprises Says 40,000 Hit by Ransomware-Caused Data Breach
What You Can Claim
Class members can choose one of three benefits, plus one year of credit monitoring through CyEx Financial Shield Total (three-bureau monitoring with up to $1 million in fraud insurance):1ClassAction.org. Fetes v. Lee Enterprises Settlement Notice
- Ordinary losses (Option A): up to $1,000 for documented out-of-pocket expenses tied to the breach, such as credit report fees, bank charges, and postage, plus lost time at $20 per hour for up to four hours.
- Extraordinary losses (Option B): up to $3,000 for documented losses from identity theft or fraud attributable to the breach.
- Alternative cash payment: a one-time pro rata payment estimated at about $35, no documentation required. Choosing this option means you can’t also claim under Option A or B.
Expenses must have been incurred between June 1, 2025, and the claim deadline.
How to File
File online at LeeEnterprisesSettlement.com using the unique ID and PIN from your notice, or download a paper form and mail it in. The administrator is Simpluris; questions go to (833) 647-9093 or info@LeeEnterprisesSettlement.com.5Lee Enterprises Settlement. Fetes v. Lee Enterprises Settlement Home
Deadlines
- Opt-out or object: April 24, 2026.
- File a claim: May 26, 2026.
- Final approval hearing: June 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in Des Moines, Iowa.3Lee Enterprises Settlement. Fetes v. Lee Enterprises Settlement FAQ
Even if the judge approves the settlement on June 30, payments can be delayed if anyone appeals. The settlement FAQ acknowledges that possibility and offers no timeline.3Lee Enterprises Settlement. Fetes v. Lee Enterprises Settlement FAQ
What Happened
Lee Enterprises discovered on February 3, 2025, that hackers had broken into its systems, encrypting applications and disrupting operations at newspapers including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Buffalo News, the Arizona Daily Star, and the Sioux City Journal.6The Record. Lee Enterprises Cyberattack Exposes Social Security Numbers The Russia-based Qilin ransomware group claimed responsibility on February 27, 2025, and said it had exfiltrated 350 gigabytes of files.7Security Affairs. Qilin Ransomware Group Claims Responsibility for Lee Enterprises Attack Lee notified regulators, alerted the FBI, and offered affected individuals 12 months of free credit monitoring.
The Video Privacy Settlement (Stoudemire v. Lee Enterprises)
This settlement is closed to new claims. The claim deadline was July 17, 2025, and Judge Stephen H. Locher of the Southern District of Iowa granted final approval on August 15, 2025.8Law360. Lee Subscribers Get Final OK for $9.5M Video Privacy Deal If you filed a valid claim, payments of $198.26 began going out on February 17, 2026 — well above the roughly $41.01 per claimant that class counsel had initially estimated, because far fewer people filed than the class allowed.9Claim Depot. Lee Settlement
Who Was in the Class
The class covered everyone in the United States who, between December 19, 2020, and March 4, 2025, held a Facebook account, maintained a paid subscription to a Lee publication, and watched video content on a Lee website during that period — roughly 1.5 million paid subscribers.10Lee Settlement. Stoudemire v. Lee Enterprises Settlement11News From The States. Lee Enterprises Agrees to $9.5 Million Payout, Faces New Class Action Claims
What the Lawsuit Alleged
The six named plaintiffs, led by Brittney Stoudemire, alleged that Lee violated the Video Privacy Protection Act by embedding tracking technology such as the Meta Pixel on its newspaper sites, which allegedly transmitted subscribers’ identities and the videos they watched to Facebook without consent.12Bloomberg Law. Lee Enterprises $9.5 Million Video Privacy Deal Gets Final Nod10Lee Settlement. Stoudemire v. Lee Enterprises Settlement13Levi & Korsinsky, LLP. Stoudemire v. Lee Enterprises Preliminary Approval Documents