AT&T Proposes $177M Data Breach Settlement, Up to $7,500 Payouts for Affected Customers

AT&T customers affected by two data breaches may receive up to $7,500 as part of a proposed $177 million settlement. The breaches impacted 73 million account holders and compromised personal information and call/text records. Customers must submit a claim form by Nov. 18 to be eligible for compensation, with payouts expected to begin by year-end. The settlement awaits final approval from the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Millions of AT&T customers may receive up to $7,500 as part of a proposed $177 million settlement related to two significant data breaches in 2024. The breaches compromised the personal information and call/text records of 73 million account holders, leading to multiple lawsuits that were consolidated into two class-action cases [2].

The first breach, announced in March 2024, exposed the personal information of 73 million current and former AT&T account holders. This included birth dates and Social Security numbers, which were found in a dataset on the dark web [1]. Four months later, in July 2024, a second breach was disclosed, affecting the telephone numbers of "nearly all" of AT&T's cellular customers and those of providers using the AT&T network between May 1 and October 31, 2022 [1].

The settlement, which includes a $149 million cash fund for the first breach and a $28 million payout for the second breach, awaits final approval from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The deadline to submit a claim is November 18, 2025, and the final approval hearing is scheduled for December 3, 2025 [3].

Customers who were affected by either or both breaches are eligible to file a claim. The settlement website states that customers will receive an email notification if they are eligible to file a claim. To receive compensation, customers must provide documentation of losses that are "fairly traceable" to the AT&T breaches [1].

The amount of compensation varies depending on the type of breach and the losses incurred. Customers affected by the March breach can receive up to $5,000, while those affected by the July breach can receive up to $2,500. Customers affected by both breaches may be eligible for up to $7,500, provided they submit documentation for each breach [1].

AT&T has denied responsibility for the breaches but agreed to the settlement to avoid protracted litigation. The company has stated its commitment to protecting customer data and ensuring their continued trust [1].

References:

[1] CNN. (2025, August 16). AT&T Data Leak Settlement. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/16/business/att-data-leak-settlement

[2] USA Herald. (2025). AT&T Settlement Could Pay Customers Up to $7,500 After Massive Data Breaches. Retrieved from https://usaherald.com/att-settlement-could-pay-customers-up-to-7500-after-massive-data-breaches/

[3] CBS News. (2025). AT&T Data Breach Settlement: Kroll $7,500 How to File Claim. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/att-data-breach-settlement-kroll-7500-how-to-file-claim/