The $4.225 million Telmate data breach settlement covers people on both sides of the prison wall — incarcerated people and the relatives and friends who used Telmate’s apps to stay in touch — if their information was caught up in the August 2020 security incident. Class members can claim up to $5,000 in documented losses and an equal share of what is left in the fund. The claim deadline is December 21, 2026, and on September 14, 2026 the court pushed the final approval hearing back to February 12, 2027.
Status: Claims open, final approval hearing moved | Claim deadline December 21, 2026 | Opt out or object by December 21, 2026 | Pro rata share plus up to $5,000 documented
The Hearing Moved; the Claim Deadline Did Not
On September 14, 2026, the court in Cooper v. Telmate, LLC, No. 1:24-cv-01622, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, granted a joint motion and rescheduled the final approval hearing from December 18, 2026 to February 12, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The December 21, 2026 claim deadline was not described as changing. The practical effect is that the earliest date the court could approve the settlement — and therefore the earliest point payments could begin — moved back by nearly two months.
Who Telmate Is and What Happened
Telmate, LLC does business as ViaPath Technologies and runs communications services used inside correctional facilities and by people keeping in touch with someone in custody. Its products include GettingOut, VisitNow and VisitMe, Command, Inmate Telephone and Guardian.
According to the settlement materials, unauthorized third parties accessed Telmate’s computer network between August 11 and August 13, 2020, and personal information of people who used its services was compromised. The plaintiffs allege Telmate failed to adequately protect that information. Telmate denies the claims and any wrongdoing, and the court has not decided who is right; the parties settled to avoid the cost and risk of more litigation. Kroll Settlement Administration is sending notice and processing claims.
Covered Because of Your Data, Not Your App
The class is individuals in the United States whose personal information was impacted in the August 2020 security incident. Having used a Telmate product is not enough by itself, and it does not matter whether you were the person in custody or the person on the outside. If your information was involved, you are in.
A notice from the administrator is the clearest sign of membership. People who opt out are excluded, as are other categories listed in the settlement agreement; the full definition is in the notice on the official website. If you did not receive a notice but believe your information was involved, the official website’s FAQ and contact page are the place to confirm how to file.
Two Benefits That Stack
| Documented losses — up to $5,000 | Reimbursement of money actually lost because of the incident, with documentation. Paid first from the fund. |
| Pro rata cash payment | An equal share of what remains after loss reimbursements and court-approved costs. No documentation required. |
You can claim both. Someone with no losses to document can still file for the pro rata share alone.
How Big Is an Equal Share?
No estimate has been published, and none can be until claims close. The $4,225,000 fund also pays administration costs and whatever the court awards in attorneys’ fees (requested at up to $1,408,333.33, one-third of the fund), litigation costs (up to $35,000) and a service award for the class representative (up to $5,000).
If the court grants every request in full, those three items total $1,448,333.33, leaving at most $2,776,666.67 before administration costs and documented-loss reimbursements are deducted. That is arithmetic on the requested amounts, not a prediction of any individual payment. The more valid claims are filed, the smaller each share.
Proof and the Notice Identifier
The pro rata payment needs no receipts. The loss reimbursement does: each claimed loss requires documentation showing what was spent and supporting its connection to the incident. The claim form lists the types of loss covered and the documents accepted, so read it before gathering paperwork.
If you received a notice, keep it handy when you file. It carries the identifier the administrator uses to match your claim to the class list.
A Separate FTC Case, No Money for Class Members
The same breach period drew regulatory action. The Federal Trade Commission brought an administrative case against Global Tel*Link Corporation and two subsidiaries, one of them Telmate, LLC, alleging that in August 2020 the companies and a vendor copied sensitive, unencrypted data on nearly 650,000 users into a cloud environment without adequate protection and did not notify all affected users. The FTC finalized its order on February 23, 2024. That order imposes data security and breach-notification obligations. It is not part of this class action and pays nothing to class members; the cash here comes only from the $4,225,000 fund.
Deadlines and Filing
| December 21, 2026 | Claim forms submitted online or postmarked. The materials give no time of day, so file early. |
| December 21, 2026 | Deadline to opt out, which preserves your right to sue Telmate individually, or to object while staying in. The notice lists what each must contain. |
| February 12, 2027, 10:00 a.m. ET | Final approval hearing, Eastern District of Virginia. The date can move again. |
File through the official Telmate data breach settlement website, which hosts the online claim form, the notice and the settlement agreement. For the pro rata share only, complete and submit the form. To add loss reimbursement, fill in the loss section and attach documentation. Paper forms can be mailed, postmarked by December 21, 2026.
Doing nothing keeps you in the class and bound by the release of claims about the incident, with no payment. Money is paid only after final approval and the resolution of any appeals; no payment date had been announced as of September 24, 2026. Our sister site tracks the docket on its Telmate (ViaPath) settlement page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to choose between the pro rata payment and loss reimbursement?
No. The benefits stack. You can claim documented losses up to $5,000 and also receive an equal share of what remains in the fund after reimbursements and court-approved costs.
I used GettingOut to talk to someone in custody. Am I covered?
Only if your personal information was impacted in the August 2020 security incident. Using a Telmate product is not enough by itself, but both incarcerated people and their contacts on the outside can be class members if their information was involved.
How much will the pro rata payment be?
No figure has been published. It is an equal share of what is left in the $4,225,000 fund after documented-loss reimbursements, administration costs and any fees, costs and service award the court approves. More valid claims mean smaller shares.
Why did the final approval hearing move?
On September 14, 2026 the court granted a joint motion rescheduling the hearing from December 18, 2026 to February 12, 2027. The December 21, 2026 claim deadline was not described as changing.
Is this the same as the FTC case against Global Tel*Link?
No. The FTC’s final order of February 23, 2024 against Global Tel*Link, Telmate and TouchPay Holdings imposed data security and notification requirements but pays nothing to class members in this lawsuit.
Sources
- Official settlement website, court-approved notice, claim form and settlement agreement — TelmateDataBreachSettlement.com, administered by Kroll Settlement Administration.
- Court docket, Cooper v. Telmate, LLC, No. 1:24-cv-01622 (E.D. Va.), including the September 14, 2026 order rescheduling the final approval hearing.
- Federal Trade Commission — Global Tel*Link Corporation case page and February 2024 announcement of the final order.
- OpenClassActions.com — Telmate (ViaPath) Data Breach Settlement.
Source and credit: the settlement terms, deadlines and benefit details described above are drawn from our sister site’s reporting — OpenClassActions.com: Telmate (ViaPath) Data Breach Settlement — Pro Rata Cash Plus Up to $5,000 — which tracks this case against the court-approved notice and the official settlement website and is updated as the court rules.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. OpenClassActions.org is a consumer news site, not a law firm and not the settlement administrator, and is not affiliated with any party to the case described. The allegations are allegations; unless a court has ruled, the defendants deny wrongdoing and no court has decided the merits. Deadlines, benefit amounts and payment timing can change as the court and the administrator act, so confirm current status on the official settlement website. You never need to pay anyone to file a claim or to receive a settlement payment.