Forbes Lawsuit: The $10 Million California Tracker Settlement
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The Forbes settlement in the news is Berman v. Forbes Media LLC, a California privacy case about advertising trackers on Forbes websites — not a data breach. Forbes agreed to pay $10 million. If you lived in California and visited a Forbes site between December 20, 2023 and June 11, 2026, you can file a claim until November 9, 2026. Final approval is not yet granted, so no money has been paid.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Forbes Lawsuit Says Happened
The lawsuit alleges that Forbes ran third-party trackers on its websites — the LinkedIn Insight Tag, Microsoft's Bing Universal Event Tracking tag and the Adnx tracker (built by Xandr, later bought by Microsoft) — that collected visitors' IP addresses and unique identifiers without consent and passed them to third parties for targeted advertising.
The plaintiffs claim this made the trackers illegal “pen registers” and “trap and trace devices” under Section 638.51(a) of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, and also violated California's Unfair Competition Law. Forbes denies these allegations and denies any wrongdoing.
If you searched for a “forbes data breach”: this case is not one. No one hacked Forbes here; the dispute is about data the websites allegedly shared by design. A Forbes.com breach reported in February 2014 involved attackers who claimed to have taken credentials for 1,057,819 accounts. No lawsuit or settlement over that incident is part of this case.
Case Details
Berman, et al. v. Forbes Media LLC, Case No. 3:24-cv-09287-WHO, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (San Francisco), before Judge William H. Orrick. The complaint was filed on December 20, 2024. Forbes did not move to dismiss it; the parties exchanged over 2,500 documents in discovery before settling.
The plaintiffs filed an unopposed motion for preliminary approval on April 30, 2026. The court has since authorized notice to the class. The administrator is Kroll Settlement Administration. Official site: MediaSiteTrackerSettlement.com.
Status: Forbes Settlement Open for Claims Until November 9, 2026
No payments go out until the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. Our news report covers the claim math in detail: Forbes tracker settlement: $10 million, California only, claims close November 9.
Don't miss the claim deadline
Claims are due by November 9, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Who Can Claim in the Forbes Class Action
The class is all California residents who, from December 20, 2023 to June 11, 2026, accessed websites owned or controlled by Forbes and had their IP addresses and/or unique identifiers shared with third parties through the trackers. The settlement papers assume about 3.9 million class members.
Not included: Forbes and its affiliates, officers and employees, their immediate families, staff of class counsel's firms and the judges on the case.
If you lived outside California, you are not in this class. Reading Forbes without an account still counts — the class is defined by visits, not subscriptions. You do not need receipts or documents to file.
How Much the Forbes Settlement Pays
What remains is split pro rata among valid claims. The settlement motion estimated approximately $32 to $189 per approved claim, depending on how many people file. That is an estimate, not a promise: more claims means a smaller check. Forbes also agreed to give California visitors clearer notice of trackers and more control over sharing.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 80,165 other statutory actions casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 11.8% of them filed as class actions:
- 26% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 22.4% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 26% and 48.4%.
- 7.4% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 155 reached a trial (0.6%), after a median of 22 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 5 months.
- Only 1,717 of them (2.1%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $195,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other statutory actions cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Forbes Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
December 20, 2023 — Class Period Starts
California visits to Forbes websites from this date onward are covered by the settlement class.
- 2
December 20, 2024 — Lawsuit Filed
Berman v. Forbes Media LLC is filed in the Northern District of California, alleging CIPA and Unfair Competition Law violations. Forbes does not move to dismiss.
- 3
April 30, 2026 — $10 Million Deal Filed
Plaintiffs file an unopposed motion for preliminary approval of a $10 million non-reversionary settlement, with a hearing noticed for June 10, 2026.
- 4
June 11, 2026 — Class Period Ends
Visits after this date are not covered. Notice to class members follows.
- 5
September 24, 2026 — Opt-Out Deadline Passed
The last day to exclude yourself or object. Anyone who did not opt out is bound by the settlement.
- 6
November 9 and December 2, 2026 — Claims Close, Approval Hearing
Claims must be filed or postmarked by November 9, 2026. Judge Orrick holds the final approval hearing on December 2, 2026; payments follow only after final approval and any appeals.
Three Things to Watch For
Real settlement notices exist for this case, which makes fakes easy to slip in:
Look-alike claim sites
The only official site is MediaSiteTrackerSettlement.com, run by Kroll. The phone number on the court notice is (833) 930-0568. Do not file through a link in an unexpected email if the domain does not match — type the address yourself.
“Forbes data breach” warnings
Be wary of any message that frames this as a breach and urges you to “secure your account” by entering your password or Social Security number. This settlement is not about a breach, and the claim form asks for no documents. No one needs your SSN or bank login.
Fees to “guarantee” your share
Filing is free. Payments are a pro rata share that nobody can guarantee or speed up, and nothing is paid before final approval. Anyone asking for a processing fee is not the administrator.
Forbes Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Is the Forbes settlement email real?
The settlement is real: Berman v. Forbes Media LLC, No. 3:24-cv-09287-WHO, administered by Kroll. A genuine notice points to MediaSiteTrackerSettlement.com and (833) 930-0568, and says a federal court authorized it. If an email points anywhere else, go to the official site directly instead of clicking.
Was there a Forbes data breach?
Not in this case. The Forbes class action is about advertising trackers sharing IP addresses and identifiers, which the lawsuit alleges violated California privacy law; Forbes denies it. A Forbes.com breach was reported in February 2014, when attackers claimed to have taken credentials for 1,057,819 accounts.
Who can file a claim?
California residents who visited a Forbes-owned website between December 20, 2023 and June 11, 2026 and whose IP address or identifiers were shared through the trackers. You do not need a Forbes account or any documents.
What is the deadline?
Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by November 9, 2026. The opt-out and objection deadline was September 24, 2026 and has passed. If you do nothing, you get no payment and give up the right to sue Forbes over these claims.
How much will I get?
An estimated $32 to $189 per approved claim, per the settlement motion — the final figure depends on how many valid claims are filed after fees and costs come out of the $10 million fund.
When will Forbes settlement payments be sent?
Only after final approval. The hearing is set for December 2, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. PT. If the court approves and no appeal is filed, payments follow; an appeal would delay them. No payment date has been announced.
Is this the Forbes video privacy (VPPA) settlement?
No. That was a separate case over a Facebook pixel on Forbes video pages, filed as Lamb v. Forbes Media LLC (S.D.N.Y. No. 1:22-cv-06319) and settled in Florida state court as Ramirez v. Forbes Media LLC, No. CACE-25-011695, for $7.5 million (up to $15 per claimant). Its claim deadline was November 4, 2025 and has passed. Being in that case does not put you in this one.
I'm not in California. Is there a Forbes lawsuit for me?
Not one that is taking claims. As of October 2026 the California tracker settlement is the only open Forbes settlement, and it is limited to California residents. See our list of open class action settlements for others you may qualify for.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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