Class Action Lawsuit Updates 2025

A class action lawsuit is when many people join to sue one or few defendants together because all share the same or very similar harm.

Contents

Big Recent Moves in Class Action Lawsuits

Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion to authors who said it used their books without permission to train its AI.
Google was ordered to pay $425 million after a jury decided it collected user data even when people turned off tracking.
Apple made a $95 million deal over claims that Siri recorded private conversations without proper consent.
Google and the Flo app will pay $56 million for allegedly sharing sensitive health and period data with advertisers.
Visa and Mastercard agreed to settle for $199.5 million in a class action by merchants claiming unfair rules around fraud and chargebacks.
Authors filed a new class action against Salesforce, accusing it of using their writing to train AI models without approval.
A new case alleges Dialpad illegally recorded calls made to T-Mobile’s customer service line without telling callers.

In many cases, people must submit a claim form and give proof (like bills, screenshots).
Some settlements allow for fixed smaller payments if you lack strong proof, or larger amounts for those who document real damage.
In big tech privacy cases, many users might get small sums because the total pot is shared across millions.
Legal and admin fees are deducted first, then the remaining money is shared among qualified claimants.

AI and copyright: These cases push companies to respect creators’ rights when using text, art, or code for training models.
User privacy: Lawsuits force tech firms to be clearer about how they track and use user data.
Gaming risks: Similar legal battles could arise over in-game monetization, data collection in games, or use of user content.
New settlement types: Beyond cash, companies may offer equity, revenue shares, or non-cash benefits, especially when money is tight.

Courts must decide whether tech firms’ actions count as violations of privacy, competition, or copyright laws.
Some courts reject claims if plaintiffs cannot prove direct harm or if issues vary across class members.
New laws and regulations (for example around AI, data rights) are making class actions riskier and more complex for companies.
Defendants often deny wrongdoing, yet choose to settle to avoid long, costly trials.