What Is New With Privacy Class Actions in October 2026? Latest court filings and settlement notices and Key Takeaways

October 2026 brought final approval for AT&T's $177 million data-breach settlement and a final hearing for the $68 million Google Assistant deal. Privacy class actions, group lawsuits seeking cash for alleged misuse of personal data, are shifting from filing to payouts and appeals. Flo claimants face an Oct.

15, 2026 deadline before an Oct. 29 final hearing. Readers who missed AT&T or Google Assistant cannot file now, so the practical choice is tracking payments and preserving records.

Official resources:

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Is the AT&T $177 million deal finished?
Can you still claim in the Flo case?
Where is the Google Assistant money?
Why are website tracking suits still growing?
What else matters for consumers?

Is the AT&T $177 million deal finished?

Senior Judge Sidney Fitzwater approved the $177 million settlement on Oct. 2, 2026, according to Bloomberg Law, covering tens of millions affected by two 2024 breaches exposing SSNs and banking data in final approval coverage. Approval means the court found the terms fair, not that payments will start immediately. The same order awarded $59 million in attorney fees, overruled objections to AT&T payments, and closed new claims, Reuters reports in its fee-award report.

The claim period ended Dec. 18, 2025, so late claims are not accepted. Kroll, the settlement administrator, estimates about $39-$40 for claims with SSN exposure and $6.50-$8.10 for other cash tiers, according to OpenClassActions. It reports no payment date until appeals resolve, so approved claimants should keep their claim ID and current address on file.

Can you still claim in the Flo case?

Users who entered menstruation or pregnancy data in Flo from Nov. 1, 2016 to Feb. 28, 2019 can claim a share of a $59.5 million fund, OpenClassActions reports in its settlement update. Google pays $48 million, Flo pays $8 million, and Flurry pays $3.5 million, with a claim deadline of Oct.

15, 2026 before the final hearing Oct. 29, 2026. Check these three points before filing: File through the official settlement administrator named in the notice, not a third-party form. Missing the deadline removes that fund as an option.

you logged menstruation or pregnancy information in Flo
use fell between Nov. 1, 2016 and Feb. 28, 2019
you submit by Oct. 15, 2026

Where is the Google Assistant money?

The $68 million Google Assistant privacy settlement held its final-approval hearing Oct. 1, 2026 in N.D. Cal., OpenClassActions reports in its settlement update. The administrator reported over 1.5 million claims and estimated $8-$20 per point.

Claims closed Aug. 27, 2026, so no new claims can be added. A high claim count can lower the amount per approved point. If you filed, watch for court approval, appeals, and administrator notices about distribution. Keep the email and payment details you used to claim unchanged where possible.

Why are website tracking suits still growing?

California enacted SB 690 to limit pen-register and trap-and-trace claims under CIPA for website tracking, Mondaq reports. It leaves Penal Code Sec. 631 wiretap claims and federal wiretap and video-privacy claims intact for plaintiffs to keep filing. U.S.

companies are projected to pay $1.4 billion in 2026 web- and app-tracking class settlements, up 36% from 2025, according to a Business Wire report. It cites the 1968 Federal Wiretap Act in 53% and CIPA in 43% of cases. For consumers, the limit is narrow and theory-specific. Many pixel, chat, session-replay, and video-tracking cases can proceed under the remaining statutes.

What else matters for consumers?

The FTC finalized Active Listening orders against Cox Media Group, MindSift and 1010 Digital Works, according to the FTC. The cases involved deceptive claims that AI marketing could use voice data, with CMG paying $880,000 and the others $25,000 each for customer redress. The Seventh Circuit denied Apple immediate appeal of class certification in the Photos-app Illinois biometric case alleging nonconsensual face-geometry collection, TechRepublic reports.

The case proceeds in district court where plaintiffs allege up to $32.5 billion exposure, while certification is not a liability finding. FTC redress is separate from a class-action claim form and follows agency distribution. No consumer filing is available in that Apple case now.

Caring for someone with dementia? Find practical guides at HelpDementia.com. Working out a skin routine? Evidence-based answers at AcneAdvocate.com. Forgot the name of a movie? Identify it at FindThisMovie.com. Was your data exposed? Track active breaches at DataBreachRadar.com.