4 big tech settlement payments you might be eligible for in 2025

Are You Owed Money? Your Ultimate Guide to Major Tech Lawsuit Settlements

Let's be honest: the idea of "free money" is almost always a myth. In life, we pay for nearly everything, whether it's with our hard work, our valuable time, or even our stress and frustration. So, when you hear about a cash payment from a major tech or social media company, it’s not really a lottery win. It’s compensation. It’s a company acknowledging, through a legal settlement, that it made a mistake that affected you. Whether your data was compromised, your privacy was violated, or you were misled into a subscription, you are legitimately owed that money.

The good news is that receiving this compensation can certainly feel like a surprise windfall. If you were already using the service or platform involved, you might as well claim what's rightfully yours. In recent months, several massive class-action lawsuits have reached settlements, meaning billions of dollars are being distributed to millions of consumers just like you. The challenge is that navigating these settlements can be confusing. Deadlines, claim forms, and eligibility requirements can feel overwhelming.

That’s where this guide comes in. We’ve broken down four of the most significant recent settlements from giants like AT&T, Facebook, Amazon, and the AI company Anthropic. We'll explain why these companies are paying, who is eligible, and exactly what you need to do to check if you have a payment coming your way. Don't leave money on the table—let's see if you're owed a piece of the pie.

AT&T's $177 Million Settlement: A Payout for Data Breaches

What Happened and Why AT&T is Paying

In our digital world, our personal data is one of our most valuable assets. We entrust it to companies for services, expecting them to keep it safe. A data breach occurs when that trust is broken and sensitive information is accessed by unauthorized individuals. Between 2019 and 2024, AT&T experienced several data breaches that potentially exposed the personal information of millions of its current and former customers. This information could include names, addresses, phone numbers, and in some cases, even more sensitive data like Social Security numbers and dates of birth. Such breaches put individuals at a heightened risk of identity theft, fraud, and phishing scams.

In response to numerous lawsuits filed by affected customers, AT&T agreed to a settlement this summer. Rather than go through a lengthy and costly court battle, the company will pay $177 million to resolve the claims. This fund is intended to compensate customers for the time, expense, and potential harm caused by the exposure of their private data.

Are You Eligible for a Payment?

You may be eligible to receive a payment if you were an AT&T customer at any point between 2019 and 2024 and were impacted by the data breaches. The settlement covers a wide range of customers, so even if you only had a short-term contract or have since switched providers, you could still be included in the settlement class.

How to Claim Your Money

The process for this settlement involves both direct outreach and a dedicated claims portal. Here’s what you need to know:

• Official Notifications: AT&T has stated it would be contacting eligible customers directly between August and October. These notifications will likely arrive via email or physical mail, so it's crucial to keep an eye on both your inbox and your mailbox. Don't forget to check your spam or junk folder, as important emails from settlement administrators often get filtered by mistake.
• The Official Settlement Website: If you haven't received a notification but believe you might be eligible, you don't have to wait. You can proactively check your status and find all the necessary information online. The official portal for the settlement can be found at TelecomDataSettlement.com.
• What to Do on the Website: The settlement website is your one-stop shop for everything related to this case. You’ll find detailed information about the lawsuit, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, and, most importantly, the forms you need to file a claim. You can also find key deadlines for submitting your claim, so be sure to act quickly.

Take a few minutes to visit the site and check your eligibility. A few moments of your time could result in a cash payment for the inconvenience and risk you were subjected to.

Facebook's Payout: The Continuing Fallout from the Cambridge Analytica Scandal

A Quick Refresher: What Was the Cambridge Analytica Scandal?

It’s one of the most infamous privacy scandals of the modern internet era. Back in 2018, it was revealed that the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested the personal data of up to 87 million Facebook users without their consent. The data was collected through a seemingly harmless personality quiz app, which not only gathered information from the people who took the quiz but also from their entire network of Facebook friends. This data was then allegedly used to build psychological profiles of voters to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The scandal was a massive wake-up call for users and regulators alike, highlighting how easily personal information shared on social media could be weaponized. The resulting class-action lawsuit accused Facebook (now Meta) of failing to protect its users' data and not being transparent about how it was being used by third-party developers.

Details of the Massive Settlement

After years of legal battles, Facebook agreed to a historic $725 million settlement to resolve the claims. This settlement covers a huge number of people: anyone in the United States who had an active Facebook account between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. Given Facebook's widespread use, this means a significant portion of the U.S. population was potentially eligible.

Is a Payment on Its Way to You?

Here's the crucial part: the deadline to submit a claim for this settlement was back on August 25, 2023. If you didn't file a claim by then, you unfortunately cannot do so now. However, with the deadline being so long ago, it's entirely possible that you did file a claim and have since forgotten about it. Many people did.

If you did file a claim, there's excellent news. The settlement administrator began distributing payments last month, and the process is expected to continue for several more weeks. Here's what to look for:

• Email Notification: If you are set to receive a payment, you should get an email from the settlement administrator. This email will confirm that your payment is on its way and may provide details about the amount and method.
• Payment Method: When you filed your claim, you likely selected a preferred payment method, such as PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, direct deposit, or a paper check. Your payment will be sent using the method you chose.
• Beware of Scams: As with any large-scale payout, scammers will try to take advantage. Remember, the official settlement administrator will never ask you to pay a fee to receive your money or ask you to provide your bank account or credit card details via email. Any message that does is a scam. Legitimate communications will simply inform you that a payment is being processed.

So, if you remember filling out a form last year, start checking your email and your bank account. Your share of the settlement could be arriving any day now.

Amazon's $1.5 Billion Prime Settlement: Were You Tricked into Signing Up?

The Allegation: Deceptive "Dark Patterns"

Almost everyone has experienced it: you’re trying to complete a simple task online, but the website's design seems to push you toward an option you don't want. These intentionally confusing or manipulative designs are known as "dark patterns." The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleged that Amazon used these tactics to trick millions of consumers into signing up for its Prime subscription service.

The lawsuit claimed that Amazon's checkout process was designed to be misleading. Customers might click a button to complete a purchase, only to discover later that they had also been enrolled in a recurring Prime membership. Furthermore, the FTC alleged that Amazon made the cancellation process incredibly difficult and confusing, a strategy sometimes called a "roach motel"—it's easy to get in, but almost impossible to get out. In response to these allegations, Amazon agreed to pay a staggering $1.5 billion to compensate affected customers.

Could You Be Eligible for a Refund?

You may be eligible for a payment if you signed up for an Amazon Prime membership between 2019 and 2025 and did so through one of the specific "challenged enrollment flows"—the misleading interfaces at the heart of the lawsuit. This settlement is expected to impact an estimated 35 million customers.

How to Get Your Amazon Payment

The distribution of this settlement is a bit more complex, as there are two different paths for customers depending on their specific situation. For comprehensive details, you can always check out Mashable's full coverage, but here is a summary of what to expect:

• Automatic Payments: Some customers will receive their payments automatically. These individuals are likely those whose cases are most clear-cut, where Amazon's own records show a high probability of an unintentional sign-up. The payment might appear as a credit to your Amazon account or a refund to the credit card on file. You won't need to do anything to receive this.
• Claim Forms: Other potentially eligible customers will be sent a claim form by Amazon. This will most likely be sent via email. If you receive one, you will need to fill it out and submit it by the specified deadline to receive your payment. This form will help the administrator confirm your eligibility.

Your next step should be to monitor the email address associated with your Amazon account. Look for any official communication from Amazon regarding the FTC settlement. It's also a good idea to periodically check your Amazon account for any notifications or unexpected account credits.

Anthropic and the AI Copyright War: A Potential Payout for Authors

The Issue: Training AI on Copyrighted Books

The rise of generative AI like ChatGPT and Claude has sparked a fierce debate about copyright. To become so powerful, these large language models (LLMs) must be "trained" on unimaginably vast amounts of text and data. The problem is that much of this training data has been scraped from the internet without permission, including copyrighted books, articles, and artwork.

A group of authors filed a class-action lawsuit against the AI company Anthropic, a major competitor to OpenAI, alleging that the company used their work illegally to train its AI model, Claude. The lawsuit centered on a controversial dataset known as "Books3," which contains the full text of tens of thousands of books, many of which are under copyright. The authors argued that this constitutes mass copyright infringement, as their work was used to build a commercial product without their consent or compensation.

A Groundbreaking (but Uncertain) Settlement

Last month, Anthropic agreed to a proposed $1.5 billion settlement to resolve the authors' claims. If approved, this would be a landmark case in the fight for creators' rights in the age of AI. To be eligible for a payment from this settlement, you would need to be an author whose work was included in the Books3 dataset.

However, there's a significant catch. The judge overseeing the case has expressed serious reservations about the terms of the settlement. This means the deal is not yet final and could be modified or even rejected. The situation is still developing.

How to Check If Your Work Was Used

While the fate of the settlement remains uncertain, authors can take a proactive step right now. You can check to see if your work was part of the notorious Books3 dataset. The Atlantic created a searchable database that allows you to do just that. You can access it here: The Atlantic's Books3 Searchable Database.

This issue is far from over. More class-action suits against AI companies are emerging, including a recent case involving Apple and its alleged use of pirated books to train its new AI models. For authors and creators, staying informed about these cases is more important than ever.

Final Thoughts: How to Protect Yourself and Claim What's Yours

Navigating the world of class-action settlements can seem daunting, but it’s an essential part of exercising your consumer rights. These lawsuits are a powerful tool for holding major corporations accountable for their missteps. The money you may receive isn't a gift; it's a remedy for a problem you didn't create.

To make sure you don't miss out on a potential payment, here are a few final tips:

• Be Proactive: Don't always wait for a notification to land in your inbox. If you think you might be affected by a settlement, do a quick search for the official settlement website and check your eligibility.
• Check Your Spam Folder: We can't stress this enough. Legitimate emails from settlement administrators are frequently misidentified as junk mail. Make a habit of regularly checking your spam folder.
• Be Wary of Scams: Remember the golden rule: you should never have to pay money to get money. Official claims processes are free. Be suspicious of any unsolicited message that asks for personal financial information or a processing fee.
• Keep Records: If you file a claim, take a screenshot of the confirmation page or save the confirmation email. This gives you a record to refer to later.

By staying informed and taking a few simple steps, you can ensure that you receive the compensation you are rightfully owed.

from Mashable
-via DynaSage