Starting this month, millions of Americans may see unexpected deposits in their bank accounts, Venmo, or Zelle as part of a massive privacy settlement with tech giant Oracle. The company agreed to pay $115 million to resolve allegations that it secretly tracked users' online and offline activities and sold that data to third parties without proper consent.
The settlement received final court approval in November 2024, but payments are only now beginning to roll out. According to court documents, the first distribution wave starts on September 21 and is expected to be largely completed by December 7. A second round of payments, funded by any leftover money, is slated to begin on December 21.
Eligible recipients may have already received an email this week from the settlement administrator (Katz-Lacabe v. Oracle) notifying them of the upcoming payment. The exact amount each claimant will receive has not been disclosed. Payments will be issued via the method each person selected when filing a claim—whether that's Venmo, Zelle, direct deposit, a paper check, or an online debit card.
What Was Oracle Accused Of?
Oracle is one of the world's largest software companies, but its data collection practices have drawn increasing scrutiny. The lawsuit alleged that Oracle operated as a "worldwide data broker," building a network that tracks in real time and permanently records the personal information of hundreds of millions of people. This includes web browsing history, in-store purchases, and geolocation data.
The complaint painted a stark picture: "This process provides Oracle with a virtual panopticon: Oracle purports to have vision on virtually everything ascertainable in electronic form about Class members, from where they live, to the media they consume, to the things they buy, to the views they hold."
Because most consumers have no direct relationship with Oracle, the lawsuit argued they had no way to consent to this data sharing. Oracle denied all wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement to avoid further litigation.
Who Qualifies for a Payout?
To be eligible, individuals must have resided in the United States at any point since August 19, 2018, and had their personal data collected by Oracle Advertising technologies or made available through Oracle's ID Graph, Data Marketplace, or other advertising products. This broad definition made it difficult for many to know if they were affected, but some were notified by email.
The claim deadline has passed, so no new applications are being accepted. If you believe you qualify but didn't file a claim, you may still receive a payment if you were automatically included. For those who did file, it's wise to monitor your chosen payment method over the coming weeks.
This settlement is part of a broader wave of privacy-related lawsuits against major tech companies. Just recently, Google Assistant users faced a similar claim window for a separate privacy case. And Meta has been hit with massive settlements over youth addiction and other privacy concerns, signaling that regulators and consumers are increasingly holding tech giants accountable for data practices.
For those expecting a payment, the key dates are September 21 and December 21. If you haven't received anything by early December, you may want to contact the settlement administrator. As with any class action, the final payout amounts depend on the number of valid claims, so don't be surprised if the check is smaller than anticipated.
