AT&T Data Breach Settlement Claims Due Dec. 18

AT&T customers affected by two major data breaches have until December 18 to file claims for compensation from a $177 million settlement, with potential payouts reaching up to $7,500 for those impacted by both incidents.

The settlement addresses lawsuits stemming from the breaches, which exposed sensitive personal information for tens of millions of users. AT&T agreed to the payout in September without admitting liability, stating it sought to resolve the cases efficiently. A federal court in Texas approved the extension of the original November deadline, and a final approval hearing is scheduled for January 15, 2026. Payments to eligible claimants are expected to follow several months after that, depending on the volume of claims and administrative costs.

The first breach, known as the AT&T 1 Data Incident, occurred in 2019 but was not disclosed until March 2024, after data appeared on the dark web. It compromised information for 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former ones, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, billing account numbers, and passwords. The second breach, the AT&T 2 Data Incident, took place in April 2024 and involved...