If you have lived in California at any time in the last seven years, you have the opportunity to earn a very easy amount of money and possibly be able to enjoy a good meal. The deadline to carry out another class action for privacy expires on December 6. On Oct. 11, a San Francisco judge gave preliminary approval to a deal that would allow Thomson Reuters to disburse $27.5 million, mostly to state residents. The settlement ends a legal battle that began in 2020: Two Alameda County activists sued the media giant over its Clear product, accusing the company of compiling millions of people’s personal data and putting it up for sale on the search database.
“Thomson Reuters sells detailed records on Californians across the state, people who have no idea their personal information is being appropriated, aggregated and sold over the Internet,” said a 2022 complaint. The company markets its Clear product ( (not to be confused with the airport security tool) to companies, governments, and law enforcement agencies.
How much is Thomson Reuters offering and what is the claim process?
In August, Thomson Reuters agreed to the settlement with the plaintiffs, which required it to create a $27.5million fund for Californians, whose data it put up for sale. The company, which did not admit wrongdoing, also agreed to limit the data it retains on state residents and facilitate its deletion.
And how do you get the money? It took this journalist less than a minute to file a claim. The online portal simply asks for your name, address, and contact information; Additionally, you must swear that you actually lived in California during the claim period. It offers several payment methods and also has a page that allows Californians to opt out of the terms of the agreement.
What is the Deadline and Hearing of the class action
Californians have until December 6 to file their claims, and a hearing to officially approve the agreement is scheduled for February 13; Payments will not arrive before that date. Only people whose information was put up for sale on Clear will receive money, according to the settlement agreement, but the plaintiff’s attorney, Andre Mura, told SFGATE that everyone who meets the California residency requirement will fit that profile. .
Mura said the size of the payments will depend on how many people file claims. His team estimates that between 400,000 and 1 million claims will be validated and that payments will be approximately between $19 and $48. He noted that each applicant will receive the same amount.
Thomson Reuters Class Action Attorney Fees
The calculations work this way because of attorney fees; On Friday, class action attorneys sought $6.88 million, plus nearly $671,000 in reimbursements. The two lead plaintiffs, Cat Brooks and Rasheed Shabazz, will receive $5,000 each, pending judge approval.
Thomson Reuters, which also owns and operates news outlet Reuters, did not respond to SFGATE’s request for comment. The company remains under scrutiny for its handling of personal data and this settlement is a significant step in resolving the privacy concerns of California residents.
