Forbes Media
Forbes Website Tracking Settlement
California residents whose identifying data was shared through trackers on Forbes-controlled websites between December 20, 2023 and June 11, 2026 may qualify for a payment. Class counsel projected approximately $32–$189 per approved claim, but this is an estimate based on assumed claim rates, not a guaranteed range. Claims are due November 9, 2026.
Key facts
California visitors to Forbes-controlled websites may qualify for a payment under a proposed $10 million tracking settlement. The lawsuit alleges that website tools disclosed identifying data to third parties without adequate consent. Forbes denies wrongdoing. The settlement resolves disputed claims and is not a finding of liability.
Who may qualify?
The class covers California residents who accessed covered Forbes websites between December 20, 2023 and June 11, 2026 and whose IP address or other unique identifiers were shared through trackers. It is not a nationwide payment for every Forbes reader. This is a different case from the older Forbes video-privacy settlement.
What does the individual payment estimate mean?
In their April 30, 2026 preliminary approval motion, class counsel projected payments of about $32 to $189 using assumed claim rates of 1% to 6%. Those figures are a projection, not guaranteed minimum and maximum payments. Approved claimants share the net fund equally after court-approved fees and other deductions; actual payments depend on valid claims.
What are the deadline and payment status?
Claims are due November 9, 2026, online or by mailed postmark. The exclusion deadline was September 24. A final approval hearing is scheduled for December 2, 2026 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time. No distribution date is established in the reviewed materials.
Who may qualify
California residents who accessed websites owned or controlled by Forbes Media during December 20, 2023 through June 11, 2026 and whose IP address or other unique identifiers were shared with third parties through trackers may qualify. General readership outside California or outside the covered period is insufficient. The agreement’s exclusions apply.
What proof do you need?
Did this settlement need proof of purchase?
For this settlement, you did not need proof of purchase. No purchase receipt is identified as a requirement. Claimants must provide identifying information and certify the covered California website use. The portal offers notice-ID and no-notice routes; the no-notice online route uses an IP-address match. Lack of a recognized IP address should not be described as automatic ineligibility because a paper route exists. The claim window for this settlement has closed.
Where do these requirements come from?
From the official settlement notice - the document that sets out who qualifies and what they have to provide. Claim summarizes it; Claim does not set it. Where the notice and this page disagree, the notice is the one that counts.
How can I check a settlement email or text?
Who is the administrator?
Kroll Settlement Administration LLC is the settlement administrator: the company a court appoints to run the claims process, send notices and make payments. It is not the company being sued, and it is not Claim.
Is the sender's name enough to trust the message?
No. A sender name, a display name, a reply-to address and even a case number can all be copied. Check the case name and number in the message against the ones on this page, and reach the court-authorized settlement website yourself rather than through a link or button in the message.
What warning signs should I look for?
Any request for a fee, a payment or a wire to release settlement money. Any request for full banking login details. Pressure to act straight away. A web address that does not match the one in the official notice. Genuine notices identify the case by name and number and explain how payment is made.
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