Forbes Media $10 Million Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Berman, et al. v. Forbes Media LLC, No. 3:24-cv-09287-WHO

November 9, 2026. That’s your deadline to claim money from the Forbes Media settlement — and it’s closer than it sounds. Forbes is paying $10 million to resolve claims that trackers on its websites shared your IP address and other identifying data with LinkedIn and Microsoft without your consent. You have until that date to file, and it takes about five minutes.

Forbes Media Website Tracking Settlement — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	$10,000,000
Claim Deadline	November 9, 2026
Who Qualifies	California residents who accessed Forbes-owned or -controlled websites between December 20, 2023 and June 11, 2026
Estimated Payout	$32 to $189 per valid claim, adjusted pro rata
Proof Required (Yes/No)	UNVERIFIED — the settlement site’s claim-form instructions weren’t accessible in full to confirm
Settlement Status	Preliminarily approved; awaiting final approval
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, Northern District of California — No. 3:24-cv-09287-WHO
Law Alleged	California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), Section 638.51(a); California Unfair Competition Law
Administrator	Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
Official Claim Site	mediasitetrackersettlement.com
Last Updated	September 26, 2026

Who Is Forbes Media and Why Are They Being Sued for Website Tracking?

Forbes runs one of the most visited business and news sites in the country, which means its trackers touch a lot of people. Class representatives Domenica Berman and Abygael Piehl allege Forbes let LinkedIn’s Insight Tag and Microsoft’s ad and analytics tools quietly capture visitors’ IP addresses and unique identifiers on Forbes.com and hand that data to third parties. That’s the kind of large-scale, page-by-page data sharing California’s wiretap law was built to catch.

What Did Forbes Media Do to California Visitors Between 2023 and 2026?

The lawsuit claims that from December 20, 2023 through June 11, 2026, Forbes ran third-party tracking code — specifically from LinkedIn and Microsoft — on its websites that captured visitors’ IP addresses and unique identifiers without getting their consent first. California’s Invasion of Privacy Act, Section 638.51(a), bans exactly this kind of pen-register-style data capture. The complaint also raises a California Unfair Competition Law claim over the same conduct.

Forbes denies doing anything wrong. It hasn’t admitted fault, and the settlement doesn’t require it to. That’s normal for a case like this — companies settle to avoid the cost and risk of trial, not because they’re confessing.

That’s roughly $10 million on the table because Forbes decided fighting this in court cost more than settling it did.

Who Qualifies for the Forbes Media Website Tracking Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes you.

• California residents who visited any Forbes-owned or -controlled website between December 20, 2023 and June 11, 2026
• Anyone whose IP address or unique identifier was shared with LinkedIn, Microsoft, or other third parties through trackers on those sites
• Visitors who read Forbes.com articles, even without ever creating an account or subscribing
• People who received a settlement notice by email referencing a Class Member ID

You likely do not qualify if:

• You’re not a California resident
• You only visited Forbes’ website outside the December 20, 2023 to June 11, 2026 window
• You already excluded yourself from a related settlement covering the same conduct

Forbes Media Visitors Outside California — Are You Still Covered?

No. This settlement is limited to California residents, because it’s built on a California-specific statute — the state’s Invasion of Privacy Act. If you live in another state, this particular fund doesn’t apply to you, though similar tracking lawsuits have been filed against other publishers under different state laws.

Not sure if you qualify for the Forbes Media settlement? A free consultation with a consumer privacy attorney can help before the November 9 deadline.

How Much Can Forbes Media Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $189 Per Person

Court filings estimate individual payments between $32 and $189, depending on how many people file valid claims. More filers means smaller checks for everyone — that’s how a pro-rata fund works.

What Pro-Rata Means for Your Forbes Media Check

The $10 million fund first covers administration costs, any court-approved attorneys’ fees, and incentive awards for the two class representatives. Whatever’s left gets divided among everyone who filed a valid claim. That’s why the payout is a range, not a fixed number — up to $189, never a guarantee of it.

Forbes Media Settlement Attorneys’ Fees and Costs

Class counsel is asking the court to approve fees of up to 25% of the fund — $2,500,000 — plus expense reimbursement, along with a 2,500incentiveawardforeachofthetwoclassrepresentatives(5,000 total). The court will decide whether to approve those amounts at the same hearing where it decides on the settlement itself.

Payments over $600 may appear on a 1099. Check with a tax professional about how a settlement payment could affect your taxes.

The lawyers take $2.5 million before you see a cent. That’s standard in cases like this — but it’s worth knowing before you decide whether filing is worth your five minutes. (It is.)

How to File Your Forbes Media Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Go to the official claim site: mediasitetrackersettlement.com/other/submitclaim
2. If you received a notice email, enter your Class Member ID. If not, select “I do not have a Class Member ID” and file that way instead
3. Confirm you’re a California resident who accessed a Forbes website between December 20, 2023 and June 11, 2026
4. Fill in your contact and payment information
5. Submit and save your confirmation
6. Watch your email — Kroll Settlement Administration will contact you if anything else is needed

Takes about five minutes.

⚠️ 44 days left as of this writing — file now at mediasitetrackersettlement.com/other/submitclaim.

Should Forbes Media Class Members Opt Out or Object Before September 24, 2026?

Note: this deadline has already passed as of this update. It’s included here for the record and because it still matters if the settlement’s terms change before final approval.

What Opting Out of the Forbes Media Settlement Actually Meant

Opting out meant giving up any payment from this fund but keeping the right to sue Forbes separately over the same tracking claims. Most people shouldn’t opt out of a settlement like this without talking to a lawyer first, since suing on your own is slower and far more expensive.

How to Object to the Forbes Media Settlement

Objecting meant staying in the class and telling the court, in writing, what you didn’t like about the deal — the payout amount, the attorneys’ fees, or anything else. Objections had to be filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by September 24, 2026, following the format the settlement notice specified.

Talk to a class action attorney if you’re weighing similar options in a different settlement — the deadlines here have already closed.

Forbes Media Website Tracking Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Settlement Proposed	April 30, 2026
Preliminary Approval Granted	June 11, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline	September 24, 2026 (passed)
Objection Deadline	September 24, 2026 (passed)
Claim Filing Deadline	November 9, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	December 2, 2026
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — payments go out after final approval and any appeals are resolved; no specific date has been set

Forbes Media Website Tracking — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 3:24-cv-09287-WHO

Do I need a lawyer to file a Forbes Media settlement claim? 

No. The claim form on mediasitetrackersettlement.com is designed to be filed without an attorney, and doing so takes about five minutes.

Is the Forbes Media settlement legitimate? 

Yes. It’s a real, court-supervised settlement in Berman, et al. v. Forbes Media LLC, overseen by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and administered by Kroll Settlement Administration LLC.

When will Forbes Media settlement payments be sent? 

UNVERIFIED — no specific payment date has been announced. Payments typically go out after the December 2, 2026 final approval hearing, assuming the court approves the deal and no appeals delay it.

What if I missed the Forbes claim deadline?

 If you miss November 9, 2026, you generally lose the right to a payment from this fund, though you’d still be bound by the settlement’s terms if you didn’t opt out earlier.

Will my Forbes Media settlement payment go on a 1099?

 Possibly. Payments over $600 may be reported on a 1099. Check with a tax professional about your specific situation.

What trackers are at the center of the Forbes Media lawsuit? 

The complaint centers on the LinkedIn Insight Tag and Microsoft’s advertising and analytics tools, which allegedly captured visitor IP addresses and unique identifiers on Forbes’ websites.

How many people could be part of the Forbes Media settlement class?

 UNVERIFIED — this article could not independently confirm a specific class size from a primary source.

Sources Used in This Forbes Media Website Tracking Article

• Official Settlement Website — Berman, et al. v. Forbes Media, LLC: https://www.mediasitetrackersettlement.com/
• Official Settlement Website — Documents page (Complaint, Settlement Agreement, Long-Form Notice, Proof of Claim Form, Attorneys’ Fees Motion): https://www.mediasitetrackersettlement.com/documents
• Kroll Settlement Administration LLC — PR Newswire statement, August 10, 2026: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/california-residents-who-visited-a-forbes-media-website-may-be-entitled-to-a-payment-from-a-class-action-settlement-302846662.html
• Law360 — “Forbes Strikes $10M Deal In Calif. Tracker Privacy Suit,” May 1, 2026: https://www.law360.com/articles/2472683/forbes-strikes-10m-deal-in-calif-tracker-privacy-suit
• The Record from Recorded Future News — “Forbes preliminarily agrees to pay $10 million to settle California wiretapping lawsuit”: https://therecord.media/forbes-agrees-10-million-settlement-privacy-class-action

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official settlement website and Kroll Settlement Administration LLC’s August 10, 2026 statement on September 26, 2026. Last Updated: September 26, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.