AT&T $177 Million Data Breach Settlement Approved; Customers to Receive $6.50 to $40

A federal judge granted final approval to AT&T's $177 million settlement resolving lawsuits over two 2024 data breaches that exposed personal information of millions of customers, Reuters reported. U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater in Dallas approved the deal Oct. 2, plus $59 million in attorneys' fees. The settlement has two funds: $149 million for the first incident (AT&T 1) and $28 million for the second (AT&T 2). Estimated tiered payments are $39 to $40 for AT&T 1 customers whose Social Security numbers were exposed, $7.50 to $8.10 for other AT&T 1 class members, and $6.50 to $7.10 for eligible AT&T 2 customers. Documented-loss payments reach $5,000 and $2,500, respectively. Nearly 5 million claims were filed as of Aug. 24, 2026. Payments will be distributed after the appeals period expires and claims review is complete. AT&T has denied wrongdoing, saying it settled to avoid prolonged litigation costs.