TED Settlement: How to Claim $5 or Two Free Months by October 26
Watched a TED video while logged in since October 2021? Do nothing for two free months, or file by October 26 for $5 cash or a donation. What the notice requires.
If you had a TED account and watched a video on TED.com or in TED’s iPhone or Android app between October 19, 2021 and July 14, 2026, you are in a class action settlement, and you do not have to do anything to get something. The settlement site says you will “automatically receive the TED Membership Benefit,” two free months of TED Membership, if you activate it. If you would rather have money, you can file a claim by October 26, 2026 for a $5 cash payment, or send that $5 to TED as a donation. The catch is that the claim needs an 8-digit Claim ID and a 4-digit PIN from your notice. This guide explains the three choices, what each one costs you, how the $350,000 cap affects the $5, and what the site says about the hearing, which has moved.
The quick answer
- Who is in: “all TED account holders, in the United States, who watched a pre-recorded video on the website ted.com or on TED’s iOS and Android mobile applications between October 19, 2021 and July 14, 2026”
- Do nothing: you “automatically receive the TED Membership Benefit,” two free months of TED Membership “estimated to have at least a $10.00 value,” once you activate it
- File a claim instead: “a cash payment for $5.00, subject to a pro rata reduction,” or a donation of that amount to TED. Picking either one means you do not get the free months
- Deadline: “You may submit your claim up until October 26, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.”
- You need a notice: “Enter the Claim ID and PIN from the notice you received to begin,” and “Each Claim ID may be used for one claim only”
- Release: doing nothing, filing, or donating all leave you bound by the settlement unless you exclude yourself by letter
Key facts at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Case | Sutton v. TED Foundation Inc., No. 1:23-cv-09219-DEH (S.D.N.Y.) |
| Law at issue | Video Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2710 |
| Who is covered | US TED account holders who watched a pre-recorded video, Oct. 19, 2021 to July 14, 2026 |
| Default benefit | Two free months of TED Membership, if activated |
| Claim options | $5 cash (reduced pro rata) or a donation to TED |
| Cash fund cap | $350,000 |
| Claim, exclude, or object by | October 26, 2026 |
| Final approval hearing | Adjourned to November 13, 2026 |
| Questions | info@tedvppasettlement.com or 1-888-312-3966 |
What the case is about
The lawsuit claims TED “violated the Video Privacy Protection Act” by disclosing users’ personally identifiable information to third-party service providers without their informed, written consent. TED denies it. The site says “Defendant denies that it engaged in any wrongful conduct or violated any law, and the Court has not decided who is right.” In its FAQ, TED’s position is that it “never discloses account holders’ names or email addresses together with their video views,” and that the data sent to outside services is encoded.
The settlement also changes TED’s practices. TED agreed to “present U.S. account holders whose event data will be transmitted to Open Web with an affirmative consent option” and to “cease the transmission of U.S. account holders’ first and last names or e-mail addresses to Mixpanel,” and the FAQ says TED “no longer employs the services of third-party Leanplum.”
Who is in the class
The class is a US TED account holder who watched at least one pre-recorded video on ted.com or in the iOS or Android app during the window. Watching without an account does not count under the definition. If you received an email or letter notice, it carries your Claim ID and PIN.
Your three choices
| Choice | What you get | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Do nothing | Two free months of TED Membership | Activation is required. You are bound by the release unless you exclude yourself |
| File a claim for cash | $5, “subject to a pro rata reduction” | Needs the Claim ID and PIN. You forgo the free months |
| File a claim to donate | Your $5 goes to TED Foundation Inc. | ”The donation option is distinct from opting out,” so you are still bound by the release |
The FAQ states the trade directly: “If Settlement Class Members select either the cash payment or the donation option, they shall not receive the TED Membership Benefit.” Which is better depends on whether you would use TED Membership. The site estimates the free months at “at least a $10.00 value,” which is more than the $5, but only if you would otherwise pay for it.
What the $350,000 cap means for the $5
Cash is limited by a fund: “In no event shall the amount Defendant pays in cash to said Settlement Class Members exceed $350,000.00.” The FAQ adds that “Each Settlement Class Member who files a valid claim will receive a proportionate share of the Settlement Fund.” By simple math, if more than 70,000 people claim $5 in cash, each payment would fall below $5. If fewer claim, the $5 is the stated amount.
How to file
- Find your notice. The claim box on the settlement site asks for the Claim ID, 8 digits, and the PIN, 4 digits
- Lost the notice? The site says “Can’t find your Claim ID? Contact the Settlement Administrator.” Use info@tedvppasettlement.com or 1-888-312-3966, and allow time for a lookup
- File before October 26 at 11:59 p.m. and choose cash or the donation option
- Pick how to be paid if you chose cash. “The cash payment will be made in the form of a check, unless you elect to receive payment by PayPal or Venmo”
- Keep a copy of the confirmation
The FAQ also says paper claim forms are “available on the Documents page.” When we checked, that page listed the notices, the settlement agreement, the preliminary approval order, and a filing that extends the notice date, with no claim form among them, so ask the administrator if you need one by mail.
When the benefit or money could arrive
The FAQ says that if the court approves the settlement, “60 days after the Settlement has been finally approved and/or any appeals process is complete,” eligible members “will automatically receive a link to activate the TED Membership Benefit or a cash payment, subject to approval of their filed claim.” Checks “expire and become void 180 days after they are issued,” so cash them promptly.
The hearing has moved. The home page says “The Court has adjourned the Final Approval Hearing due to a scheduling conflict” and “The hearing is now scheduled for November 13, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.” The FAQ lists “3:00 p.m. on November 13, 2026,” and the long-form notice PDF still says November 12. The date is November 13 on the live pages, but the time differs between them, and the FAQ itself warns that the hearing “may be postponed to a different date or time without notice.” You do not need to attend, and the safest check is the settlement site or 1-888-312-3966.
Exclude yourself or object
- Exclude: you must “mail or otherwise deliver a letter” by October 26 to the TED Settlement Administrator, 1060 Broadway, Suite 310, Albany, NY 12204. You get nothing from the settlement, including the free months, and keep your right to sue
- Object: you stay in the class and tell the court what you dislike, with your letter filed and copied to both sides, postmarked by October 26
Class counsel can ask for “no more than $700,000.00” for administration costs, attorneys’ fees, and expenses, plus “no more than $2,500 each” for the three class representatives, and the court can award less.
Quick answers to what people search
Do I have to file a claim for the TED settlement? No. If you do nothing, you automatically get two free months of TED Membership once you activate them. You file only if you want cash or the donation.
How much is the TED settlement payment? $5, reduced pro rata if claims push total cash past $350,000.
What is the deadline? October 26, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. for claims. Exclusion and objection are also due October 26.
I lost my Claim ID. What do I do? Contact the settlement administrator at info@tedvppasettlement.com or 1-888-312-3966.
Can I get the free months and the $5? No. Picking cash or the donation means you do not receive the membership benefit.
When is the hearing? November 13, 2026, after an adjournment. The live pages disagree on the time, so check the site.
Other claim windows close in October as well; our October 2026 settlement deadlines guide lists all twelve, including the VSL#3 probiotic claim.
Bottom line
If you watched TED videos while logged in during the class period, decide between two free months of TED Membership, which you get by doing nothing, and $5 in cash or a donation, which needs a claim with your Claim ID and PIN by October 26 at 11:59 p.m. Remember that the choices are exclusive, that doing nothing still binds you to the settlement, that the $5 can shrink if more than 70,000 people claim cash, and that nothing is paid before the court’s final approval. The hearing is now November 13, with the time differing between the site’s pages.
Settlement terms, deadlines, and the adjourned hearing date quoted from the court-authorized settlement website, its FAQ, and the long-form notice linked above, read on October 1, 2026. The 70,000 figure is our arithmetic from the $350,000 cap and the $5 payment. Settlement terms can change at the final approval hearing, and the settlement site is the authority on your claim. This is general information, not legal advice.