New Data Privacy Settlement is Open to Adults Who Have Resided in California For Any Period of Time Between December 3, 2016 and October 31, 2024

Californians and former California residents now have until Friday, December 27 to file claims for an estimated $19 to $48 in a class action settlement. This groundbreaking data privacy settlement for $27.5 million, achieved by Gibbs Law Group LLP and Cohen Milstein Miller & Toll PLLC, has been reached with Thomson Reuters for its CLEAR platform. The settlement will also make it easier for Californians to remove certain of their information from CLEAR.

The deadline to file a claim for a money payment is December 27, 2024. Any adult who resided in California for any period of time between December 3, 2016 and October 31, 2024, may be entitled to a payment from a $27.5 million class action settlement. Even if you no longer live in California, you still qualify so long as you resided in California during the above time frame. You do not need to have a CLEAR account to qualify, or have ever used CLEAR. Learn more and file a claim on the settlement website: https://clearprivacysettlement.com/

Case Background

The class action lawsuit, originally filed in 2020, alleged that, through its CLEAR platform, Thomson Reuters sold access to millions of California residents’ data to government entities and to wide-ranging corporate customers. Cat Brooks and Rasheed Shabazz, long-time Oakland residents and activists, represented the class as named plaintiffs.

Settlement Information

The Court granted preliminary approval of the settlement on October 11, 2024 and will decide whether to finally approve the settlement at a hearing currently scheduled for February 13, 2025.

In addition to providing an opportunity to submit claims for monetary relief, the settlement also mandates privacy-protective changes to Thomson Reuters’ operation of CLEAR going forward. Within six months of the Court’s final approval order, Thomson Reuters must launch an improved opt-out process and privacy policy. It will also launch a public website where Californians can learn more about CLEAR, the data available through it, and the customers that use that data.

In the meantime, current and former California residents have less than one month remaining to file claims for money payments: https://clearprivacysettlement.com/

Previous Press Coverage

Previous press coverage about this litigation includes:

The Washington Post, March 18, 2021: The Technology 202: Activists are suing Thomson Reuters over its sale of personal data

Bloomberg Law News, Aug. 17, 2021: Thomson Reuters Must Face Privacy Lawsuit over CLEAR Platform

Law360, Aug. 22, 2023: Data Lessons for Tech Cos. After Class Cert. in Reuters Suit

The Logic, Aug. 17, 2023: Thomson Reuters dealt blow as U.S. judge certifies class action over ‘tremendous’ alleged privacy harm

SF Gate, Oct. 28, 2024: Millions of Californians can claim cash from $27.5 million lawsuit settlement

KTVU Fox 2, Oct. 29, 2024: How Californians can cash in on $27.5M Thomson Reuters settlement payout

MSN, Oct. 30, 2024: Your share of $27.5M lawsuit settlement is a click away for California residents

About Gibbs Law Group LLP

Gibbs Law Group is California-based law firm and a nationwide leader in lawsuits seeking to holding companies accountable for misconduct. We represent individuals, whistleblowers, employees, and small businesses across the U.S. against the world’s largest corporations. We have prosecuted some of the largest privacy cases throughout the country, and our attorneys have received numerous awards for their privacy and data breach work including “Cybersecurity & Privacy MVP,” “Top Cybersecurity and Privacy Attorneys Under 40,” and “Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar.”

About Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC

Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, a premier U.S. plaintiffs’ law firm, with over 100 attorneys across eight offices, champions the causes of real people – workers, consumers, small business owners, investors, and whistleblowers – working to deliver corporate reforms and fair markets for the common good.

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