Zoom Class Action Lawsuit: New AI Voiceprint Suit, Old Settlements Closed
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The Zoom class action lawsuit in the news now was filed on September 25, 2026: Sheldon v. Zoom Communications, Inc. claims Zoom's AI Companion and ZoomMate capture voiceprints of people who speak in meetings in Illinois without the written consent the state's biometric privacy law requires. It is brand new. There is no settlement, no claim form and no deadline. The two Zoom settlements people remember — $85 million for users and $150 million for shareholders — are both closed.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the New Lawsuit Says
Zoom launched AI Companion, its transcription and meeting-summary tool, on September 5, 2023. To tell speakers apart, the lawsuit alleges, the tool compares numeric profiles of each person's voice — and those profiles are voiceprints under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The complaint cites a Zoom patent issued in February 2025 that describes extracting voiceprints and storing them with user accounts.
The plaintiffs say they tested this: guests without Zoom accounts allegedly saw only a pop-up reading “AI Companion has been turned on,” and Zoom's Scribe developer tool allegedly matched short voice samples to the same speakers by voice alone. The suit also alleges that ZoomMate, an add-on launched in June 2026, sends speaker data to outside platforms such as Salesforce and AI vendors such as OpenAI. It pleads three BIPA claims: collection without consent (Section 15(b)), no public retention policy (Section 15(a)) and disclosure without consent (Section 15(d)). These are allegations; no court has ruled on them.
Case Details
Current case: Sheldon, et al. v. Zoom Communications, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-10962, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, filed September 25, 2026 (case number as reported by ClaimDepot; we have not read the docket ourselves).
Closed user case: In re: Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Privacy Litigation, No. 3:20-cv-02155-LB, same court, before Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler — the $85 million settlement.
Closed shareholder case: the securities class action filed April 7, 2020 (No. 20-cv-02353, Judge James Donato), settled for $150 million.
Regulator: the Federal Trade Commission finalized an order over Zoom's security claims on January 19, 2021. It imposed a security program, not refunds.
Status: New Suit Pending, Old Settlements Paid
The $85 million privacy settlement is finished. Claims closed March 5, 2022; final approval came April 21, 2022; appeals ended in 2023; payments began May 18, 2023. You cannot file now.
The $150 million shareholder settlement is finished. The claim deadline was September 16, 2025, and the court entered its final approval order on November 10, 2025, per Zoom's annual report.
So any “Zoom settlement” offering new money today is not one of these.
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There's no claim deadline yet. We'll email you if a settlement opens a claim period.
Who Each Zoom Case Covers
Voiceprint suit (open, no money yet): the proposed class is people who, while in Illinois, spoke in a Zoom session with AI Companion or ZoomMate running on or after September 5, 2023, and whose voice data Zoom allegedly collected, kept or shared. You do not need a Zoom account to fit that definition — guests are central to the complaint. There is nothing to sign up for.
$85 million privacy settlement (closed): U.S. users of the Zoom Meetings app between March 30, 2016 and July 30, 2021 who filed a claim by March 5, 2022.
$150 million securities settlement (closed): people who bought Zoom stock between April 18, 2019 and April 6, 2020 and filed by September 16, 2025.
Is There Any Zoom Settlement Money?
Zoom class action settlement for users ($85 million): the claim form offered $15 to free users and $25 or 15% of the core subscription cost, whichever was greater, to paid subscribers. Payments were pro rata; free users reported $32.32 in May 2023 emails. The administrator says it “has made the payments that the Settlement allows.” If you filed but never got paid, the FAQ asks for a written status request and allows 4-6 weeks.
Shareholders ($150 million): Zoom paid $60 million net, with $90 million covered by insurance. Judge Donato cut lawyers' fees from the requested $28 million to more than $10 million. Payment depends on your trades.
Zoom Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
April 2020 — Privacy and Shareholder Suits
Users sue over data sharing, “Zoombombing” and encryption claims; shareholders file securities suits on April 7 and 8.
- 2
January 19, 2021 — FTC Order Final
The FTC votes 3-2 to finalize an order requiring a security program and independent biennial assessments. No consumer refunds.
- 3
April 21, 2022 — $85 Million Deal Approved
The privacy settlement wins final approval. Appeals end April 1, 2023; payments start May 18, 2023.
- 4
November 10, 2025 — $150 Million Deal Approved
Final approval of the shareholder settlement, after a September 16, 2025 claim deadline.
- 5
September 25, 2026 — Voiceprint Suit Filed
Sheldon v. Zoom Communications, No. 3:26-cv-10962, alleges AI Companion and ZoomMate collect Illinois voiceprints without consent.
- 6
As of October 2026 — Early Stage
No answer from Zoom in the sources we checked, no class certified, no settlement and no claim form.
Three Things to Watch For
Two finished settlements plus one new headline is an easy setup for confusion:
“Claim your Zoom AI settlement” sites
The voiceprint case has no settlement and no claims portal. A page asking for your Zoom login, a voice sample or your Social Security number to “join” is collecting data, not filing anything.
Late “unclaimed $85 million payment” messages
The real payment emails came from noreply@epiqpay.com in 2023, and the digital payment selection period ended September 28, 2023. An email today asking for a fee or bank login to release an old Zoom payment is not from the administrator.
Fake shareholder “recovery” offers
The $150 million securities claim deadline passed September 16, 2025. Anyone charging upfront to “recover” your Zoom shareholder money after that date is not the court-appointed administrator.
Zoom Class Action — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a new Zoom class action lawsuit?
Yes. On September 25, 2026, Sheldon v. Zoom Communications, Inc. (No. 3:26-cv-10962) was filed in the Northern District of California. It alleges Zoom's AI tools collect voiceprints from people speaking in Illinois without BIPA consent. It is at an early stage.
Is there a Zoom settlement I can file a claim for right now?
No. The voiceprint case has no settlement. The $85 million privacy settlement closed to claims on March 5, 2022, and the $150 million shareholder settlement closed on September 16, 2025.
Was there a Zoom data breach?
The 2020 Zoom cases were not about a single hacked database. The privacy suit alleged Zoom shared user data with third parties, failed to stop meeting disruptions and overstated its encryption. The FTC case also concerned security claims. Zoom denied the allegations in the privacy case.
How much did the Zoom class action settlement pay?
The $85 million user settlement offered $15 to free users and the greater of $25 or 15% of subscription cost to paid users, adjusted pro rata. Free users reported $32.32 in May 2023. Payments started May 18, 2023.
I filed a claim in 2022 but never got paid. What now?
The settlement FAQ says to send a written status request with your name, current email and mailing address, and any older addresses you used. If the payment went to an old address, a new check is issued; allow 4-6 weeks.
Do I have to have a Zoom account to be in the voiceprint case?
The proposed class is defined by speaking in a Zoom session in Illinois with AI Companion or ZoomMate on, on or after September 5, 2023 — not by having an account. Guests without accounts are a focus of the complaint. A court has not certified that class.
What did the shareholder case allege?
The securities suits alleged Zoom made false and misleading statements about its data privacy and security. They covered stock bought between April 18, 2019 and April 6, 2020, and settled for $150 million, with final approval entered November 10, 2025.
What can I do now?
Nothing is required to stay in a future class. If you host meetings, you can check whether AI Companion is on and tell participants. Watch for any official notice naming a court-appointed administrator, and ignore anyone asking for fees.
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.