What Is the AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit?
The AT&T data breach lawsuit is a federal class action against AT&T over two 2024 data incidents. The defendants are AT&T Inc. and AT&T Mobility LLC. The formal name is In re: AT&T Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, MDL No. 3114, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the first twelve actions in June 2024 under 28 U.S.C. § 1407. The Panel described them as actions over "an alleged data security breach announced by AT&T in March 2024." Later filings joined by transfer order. Judge Ada E. Brown oversaw the case until August 2026.
The litigation uses two shorthand names. AT&T 1 is the March 2024 dark web data set. AT&T 2 is the July 2024 incident involving call and text records stored on a Snowflake cloud workspace. The court certified a separate settlement class for each incident, for settlement purposes only.
“The AT&T 1 Settlement Class consists of: [A]ll living persons in the United States whose AT&T 1 Data Elements were included in the AT&T 1 Data Incident. The AT&T 2 Settlement Class is defined as: AT&T Account Owners or Line or End Users whose AT&T 2 Data Elements were involved in the AT&T 2 Data Incident.”
Source: In re: AT&T Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, MDL Docket No. 3:24-md-03114-E, Case No. 3:24-cv-00757-E, Preliminary Approval Order, Document 298, at 2-3 (N.D. Tex. Dallas Div. June 20, 2025)
Why Are People Filing AT&T Data Breach Lawsuits?
People are filing AT&T data breach lawsuits because AT&T allegedly failed to protect customer data twice in 2024. Plaintiffs argue a carrier that holds records on tens of millions of customers owed them reasonable data security.
AT&T announced the first incident on March 30, 2024. It said a dark web data set "appears to be from 2019 or earlier." The set affected about 7.6 million current account holders. About 65.4 million former account holders were also reported. The JPML order lists names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, account numbers, and passcodes. AT&T had earlier denied that the data came from its systems.
AT&T disclosed the second incident on July 12, 2024. Someone downloaded call and text records for nearly all cellular customers from a third-party cloud workspace. The records covered May 1 to October 31, 2022, and a very small number reached January 2, 2023. AT&T says the data excluded call and text content, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth.
Reporting says attackers used login credentials stolen by infostealer malware, not a flaw in the Snowflake platform. In the related Snowflake MDL, the JPML noted that most plaintiffs call weak multi-factor authentication a critical factor.
What Injuries Are Included in the AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit?
The injuries included in the AT&T data breach lawsuit fall into three categories. They are exposed identifiers, exposed call records, and out-of-pocket losses. AT&T has not been found liable and denies wrongdoing.
Exposed Social Security Numbers and Personal Identifiers
A Social Security number is a nine-digit federal identifier that lenders and employers use to verify a person. Its exposure raises the risk of misuse.
The AT&T 1 data set allegedly held Social Security numbers, names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, account numbers, and passcodes. The settlement treats Social Security number exposure as the most serious category. Tier 1 payments are set at five times the Tier 2 amount for AT&T 1 members whose numbers were included.
Exposed Call and Text Records
Call and text records are metadata showing which numbers communicated and when, without the words spoken or written.
The AT&T 2 records allegedly show who called or texted whom during a six-month window in 2022. Security researchers noted that call patterns can reveal sensitive relationships even without call content. AT&T 2 class members without documented losses receive a Tier 3 payment, the smallest of the three tiers.
Identity Theft Risk and Documented Financial Losses
Identity theft is the use of another person's identifying information to open accounts or make purchases without permission.
Plaintiffs allege exposed data raised the risk of fraud for customers in both classes. A claimant with proof of a loss could seek up to $5,000 for AT&T 1 losses from 2019 onward. AT&T 2 claimants could seek up to $2,500 for losses on or after April 14, 2024. Claimants without such proof could take a tier payment instead.
Who Qualifies for the AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit?
You may qualify if:
- You are a living U.S. person whose data was in the March 2024 dark web set (AT&T 1 Settlement Class)
- You were an AT&T account owner, line user, or end user in the July 2024 incident (AT&T 2 Settlement Class)
- You filed a valid claim by December 18, 2025 and answered any follow-up notice from Kroll Settlement Administration
You may not qualify if:
- AT&T, its officers and directors, and the presiding judicial officer and immediate family, all excluded from both classes
- People whose opt-out requests the court accepted, who keep the right to pursue separate claims
- People who missed the claims deadline, because the final approval order does not reopen claims
This summary describes who the two classes covered, not an open opportunity to file. Class members who did not opt out generally remain bound by the settlement release even without a payment. Only a qualified attorney reviewing your records can confirm how the release applies to you.
What Is the Current Status of the AT&T Data Breach MDL?
The current status of the AT&T data breach MDL is final approval granted, with payments awaiting the appeal period. Senior Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater approved the settlement on October 2, 2026, in a 73-page memorandum opinion and order. The sources reviewed report no payment date as of October 12, 2026.
In re: AT&T Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation
Individual and class actions over the 2024 incidents were centralized before Judge Ada E. Brown. AT&T agreed to settle without admitting liability. Judge Brown recused on August 14, 2026, while the fairness decision was pending. The Panel reassigned the MDL to Judge Fitzwater on August 17, 2026.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division |
| MDL Docket | MDL No. 3114 (3:24-md-03114-E) |
| Case Number | 3:24-cv-00757-E |
| Judge | Sidney A. Fitzwater (reassigned August 17, 2026 from Ada E. Brown) |
| Settlement Administrator | Kroll Settlement Administration LLC |
| Preliminary Approval | June 20, 2025 |
| Opt-Out and Objection Deadline | November 17, 2025 |
| Claims Deadline | December 18, 2025 (passed) |
| Final Approval Hearing | January 15, 2026 |
| Final Approval Order | October 2, 2026 |
| Payment Date | Not announced |
Kroll received 4,918,073 claims, according to reporting on the final approval order. The order reportedly allowed 1,654,046 Tier 1, 687,859 Tier 2, and 1,582,248 Tier 3 claims. It rejected 1,099,732, including 804,381 for suspected fraud. These counts can change as deficient claims are resolved.
In re: Snowflake, Inc., Data Security Breach Litigation
MDL No. 3126 is a separate, multi-defendant proceeding over the Snowflake breaches. The Panel created it on October 4, 2024, and assigned it to Chief Judge Brian Morris in Montana. It refused to send the AT&T Snowflake actions to Texas. AT&T is a settling defendant there, and claims against it are largely stayed behind the Texas settlement.
| Court | U.S. District Court, District of Montana |
| MDL Docket | MDL No. 3126 |
| Judge | Brian Morris (assigned October 2024) |
| Settling Defendants | AT&T, Advance Auto Parts, Neiman Marcus |
| Non-Settling Defendant | Snowflake Inc. |
| Stay on AT&T Claims | Largely stayed pending approval, per the Panel's December 15, 2025 order |
What Are the AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit Settlement Amounts?
The AT&T data breach lawsuit settlement amounts total $177 million, split into two funds. The AT&T 1 fund holds $149 million and the AT&T 2 fund holds $28 million. Both funds are non-reversionary, so no unspent money returns to AT&T.
Claimants with documented losses could receive up to $5,000 from AT&T 1 and up to $2,500 from AT&T 2. Everyone else receives a tier payment. Reported estimates are about $39 to $40 for Tier 1 and $7.50 to $8.10 for Tier 2. Tier 3 is about $6.50 to $7.10. These are estimates, not guarantees, and final amounts depend on valid claims and court-approved deductions.
The $7,500 maximum is the two caps added together, not a separate tier. Reaching it requires documented losses under both incidents.
The funds also pay fees and costs. The court approved $59 million in attorneys' fees, one-third of each fund. It also approved $1,060,051 in costs and $54,000 in service awards. Kroll has billed $18,856,175.48 in administration costs so far. Adding those court-approved items gives about $78.97 million, roughly 45 percent of $177 million. That total is arithmetic from the order's figures, not a number the court stated.
No payment date has been announced. The settlement agreement, as reported, calls for payment within 60 days after its Effective Date, which follows the appeal period. A federal notice of appeal is generally due 30 days after judgment. A timely appeal would hold payments until it ends.
Tier 3 claimants should expect a small payment, not nothing. The court rejected an objection that documented-loss claims would exhaust the AT&T 2 fund. That objection said Tier 3 members would go unpaid.
AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit Updates and Case Status
Here is the current status of the AT&T Data Breach lawsuit, updated with new filings, rulings, and case-count reports as they're confirmed. A settlement in MDL 3114, the federal AT&T data breach litigation was reached as of October 2026, detailed in the timeline below. See the full timeline below for every confirmed development since the litigation began.
AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit Timeline of Events
Court Grants Final Approval of the $177 Million Settlement
Senior Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater granted final approval of the AT&T data breach settlement on October 2, 2026. The 73-page opinion found the deal fair, reasonable, and adequate. It sustained one objection, about the Texas Bar Foundation as a leftover-funds recipient, and approved $59 million for class counsel.
Panel Reassigns MDL 3114 to Judge Fitzwater
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation reassigned MDL No. 3114 from Judge Ada E. Brown to Senior Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater on August 17, 2026. Judge Brown had recused three days earlier.
Snowflake Hacker Pleads Guilty in a Related Criminal Case
Connor Moucka pleaded guilty on August 5, 2026 to federal charges tied to the Snowflake extortion campaign. That campaign included the theft of AT&T call and text records. Sentencing is set for October 27, 2026, and the criminal case is separate from the class action.
Judge Brown Holds the Final Approval Hearing
Judge Ada E. Brown held the fairness hearing on the AT&T settlement on January 15, 2026. She took the final approval motion under advisement.
Claims Deadline Passes in Both Settlement Classes
The deadline to file a claim in the AT&T 1 and AT&T 2 settlement classes passed on December 18, 2025. The final approval order did not reopen it.
Panel Denies Remand in the Snowflake MDL and Notes the AT&T Stay
The Judicial Panel denied a remand motion in MDL No. 3126 on December 15, 2025. It explained that claims against AT&T in that MDL were largely stayed. The Texas preliminary approval order bars class members from continuing separate litigation.
Opt-Out and Objection Deadline Passes
Class members had until November 17, 2025 to opt out of or object to the AT&T data breach settlement. Objectors later numbered about 45.
Montana Court Rules on Snowflake's Motions to Dismiss
The District of Montana ruled on Snowflake's motions to dismiss in MDL No. 3126 on October 28 and 29, 2025. That proceeding is separate from the AT&T class settlement.
Panel Rejects Opt-Out Plaintiffs' Remand Arguments in MDL 3114
The Judicial Panel's September 30, 2025 transfer order in MDL No. 3114 rejected remand arguments. The plaintiffs behind them said they intended to opt out of the class settlement.
Panel Transfers Seventeen Florida Actions Into MDL 3114
On August 7, 2025, the Judicial Panel transferred seventeen Florida actions against AT&T Mobility into MDL No. 3114. Six also pleaded a separate monthly administrative fee claim. The Panel declined to split those claims off.
Court Grants Preliminary Approval and Certifies Settlement Classes
Judge Ada E. Brown granted preliminary approval on June 20, 2025. She conditionally certified the AT&T 1 and AT&T 2 settlement classes and appointed Kroll Settlement Administration LLC. The order also barred class members from pursuing separate litigation until final approval.
Panel Stops Splitting Non-Data-Breach Claims From MDL 3114 Transfers
In a February 6, 2025 transfer order, the Judicial Panel stopped separating non-data-breach claims for remand. It began transferring entire actions into MDL No. 3114.
Panel Creates the Separate Snowflake MDL in Montana
On October 4, 2024, the Judicial Panel created MDL No. 3126 in the District of Montana for the Snowflake breaches. It denied a stand-alone AT&T MDL. It also refused to move the AT&T Snowflake actions to the Texas court handling MDL No. 3114.
AT&T Discloses the Second Incident, Later Called AT&T 2
AT&T disclosed on July 12, 2024 that someone downloaded call and text records for nearly all its cellular customers. The records sat in a workspace on a third-party cloud platform.
Panel Centralizes the First Twelve Actions as MDL 3114
On June 5, 2024, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized twelve actions over the March 2024 AT&T data breach. It named the Northern District of Texas as MDL No. 3114's home.
AT&T Announces the Dark Web Data Set, Later Called AT&T 1
AT&T announced on March 30, 2024 that a dark web data set appeared to be from 2019 or earlier. The set affected about 7.6 million current account holders.
How to File an AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit
To file an AT&T Data Breach lawsuit, follow the 5 steps listed below.
- Confirm which settlement class you belong to: Check your records for the Kroll email or postcard with a Class Member ID. It showed whether you were in AT&T 1, AT&T 2, or both.
- Check an existing claim at the official settlement website: Kroll Settlement Administration is the court-appointed administrator. Its settlement website and phone line, (833) 890-4930, are the authoritative source on claim status.
- Answer any deficiency or validation notice: A claimant flagged for missing documents or class-membership checks must follow that notice. An unanswered notice can lead to a rejected claim.
- Wait for payment notices that come through Kroll: Payments cannot start until the appeal period ends and claim review finishes. A legitimate administrator does not charge a fee to release money.
- Consult an attorney if you validly opted out: Opt-out class members keep their own claims. Deadlines such as the statute of limitations depend on your state, and only a qualified attorney can assess them.
AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit is no longer accepting new claims. The claims deadline passed on December 18, 2025, and the court granted final approval on October 2, 2026. Class members who filed a valid claim should wait for payment notices from Kroll Settlement Administration.
What Evidence Do I Need for an AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit?
The evidence needed for an AT&T data breach lawsuit claim was a receipt or similar document showing a traceable loss. The claimant could not have prepared that document. The official settlement terms set this standard for documented-loss payments.
Self-prepared records, such as handwritten notes, were not enough alone. They could support other documents. The covered loss window began in 2019 for AT&T 1 and on April 14, 2024 for AT&T 2. Account owners and AT&T 1 class members also needed the Class Member ID from their notice to file online.
Claimants without documents could still choose a tier payment. A class member with a pending deficiency notice should send only what that notice requests.
What Has AT&T Said About the Data Breach Lawsuit?
AT&T has said it denies responsibility for the criminal acts in the data breach lawsuit while agreeing to a $177 million settlement. The court approved the settlement for settlement purposes only and made no ruling on the merits.
AT&T said in a public statement: "While we deny the allegations in these lawsuits that we were responsible for these criminal acts, we have agreed to this settlement to avoid the expense and uncertainty of protracted litigation." The company added that it remains committed to protecting customer data.
AT&T's position on the first incident changed over time. It first denied that the data came from its systems. It then confirmed in March 2024 that a data set had surfaced on the dark web.
How Does the AT&T Data Breach Lawsuit Compare to Related Cases?
The AT&T data breach lawsuit differs from related cases in its court, defendants, and legal claim. Only MDL No. 3114 is the subject of this page. Four other matters turned up in research and are listed to prevent confusion.
The Snowflake MDL covers the same July 2024 incident but names Snowflake and several client companies, as described above. A separate Federal Communications Commission action ended with a $13 million civil penalty in September 2024. That action concerned a 2023 breach at an AT&T vendor's cloud environment. It is not part of the class settlement.
A 2019 complaint, AT&T Services, Inc. v. Access Worldwide Communications, Inc., has AT&T as the plaintiff. It alleged that a subcontractor's employee accessed a restricted area of AT&T's network without authorization. It has no connection to the 2024 class action.
| Case | What It Is About | Court / Agency | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data breach MDL (this page) | March 2024 dark web data set and July 2024 Snowflake records | N.D. Texas, MDL No. 3114 | $177M class settlement, final approval granted |
| Snowflake data breach MDL (separate) | Cluster of 2024 Snowflake platform breaches, multiple defendants | D. Montana, MDL No. 3126 | AT&T claims largely stayed; Snowflake motions to dismiss ruled on October 2025 |
| FCC vendor breach settlement (separate) | 2023 vendor cloud breach and supply chain data protection | Federal Communications Commission | $13M civil penalty, announced September 2024 |
| AT&T Services v. Access Worldwide (separate) | Vendor contract and network access breach, filed by AT&T | N.D. Texas, 3:19-cv-02768-C | Complaint filed November 19, 2019 |
| Administrative fee claims inside MDL 3114 | Monthly wireless fee claims pleaded alongside data breach claims | N.D. Texas, MDL No. 3114 | Transferred with their actions August 7, 2025 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AT&T data breach lawsuit about?
The AT&T data breach lawsuit is about two 2024 incidents. Plaintiffs allege AT&T failed to protect a dark web data set with Social Security numbers. They also allege it failed to protect call and text records stored on a Snowflake cloud workspace.
Is the AT&T data breach lawsuit a class action or an MDL?
The AT&T data breach lawsuit is both. It is MDL No. 3114 in the Northern District of Texas. Its settlement was certified as two settlement classes, AT&T 1 and AT&T 2.
Did the AT&T data breach settlement get final approval?
Yes. Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater granted final approval of the $177 million AT&T data breach settlement on October 2, 2026. Judge Ada E. Brown had held the January 15, 2026 hearing.
When will AT&T data breach settlement payments be sent?
AT&T data breach settlement payments will be sent after the appeal period ends and claim review finishes. No payment date has been announced, and a timely appeal would delay payments further.
Can I still file a claim in the AT&T data breach lawsuit?
Generally no. The claims deadline for the AT&T data breach lawsuit passed on December 18, 2025. The final approval order did not reopen it. Existing claimants should check with Kroll.
Is the AT&T data breach lawsuit the same as the Snowflake lawsuit?
No. The Snowflake lawsuit, MDL No. 3126 in Montana, is a separate proceeding that names Snowflake and several companies. AT&T is a settling defendant there, and the claims against AT&T are largely stayed.