Millions of dollars are available for certain AT&T phone customers after a multi-million dollar settlement with federal regulators over the carrier’s alleged data-throttling practices.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is trying to get the word out about a $60 million settlement with AT&T, after regulators sued the wireless carrier for “unfairly” slowing down service for some customers who had unlimited data plans.
“AT&T would significantly reduce data speeds for consumers who went above a certain usage in a billing cycle, a practice known as data throttling,” said Evan Rose, a staff attorney with the FTC. “Throttling can make common activities on your phone, web browsing, watching videos, difficult or even in some cases impossible.”
AT&T has denied these allegations, and told NBC New York, “While we continue to dispute the allegations in this lawsuit from 2014, we elected to settle in 2019 rather than continue with drawn-out litigation.”
According to the FTC, AT&T has already paid out $52 million, but there’s still $7 million left for consumers who are eligible.
Eligibility requirements include being a former AT&T customer, as current AT&T customers already received a credit on their bill.
Former AT&T customers who are eligible are those who had unlimited data plans between October 2011 and June 2015, and who have not already received payment from the wireless carrier.
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To file a claim for the settlement, visit the FTC’s website by clicking here, and filling out the ‘Online Claim Form.’
The average claim payout is between $20-30, but the FTC says payment amounts depend on several factors, including the number of people who file claims.
Consumers who are eligible to file claims have until May 18, 2023.
