Telmate (ViaPath Technologies) data breach settlement

Who may be eligible

Telmate, which runs prison and jail communication services under the ViaPath Technologies name, has agreed to a $4,225,000 fund over a security incident in which unauthorized actors reached files on its network between August 11 and August 13, 2020. The settlement class is roughly 431,031 people in the United States whose personal information was affected, so if you or a family member used GettingOut, VisitNow, Command, Guardian or Telmate inmate telephone services around then, you may be eligible. The basic option is a pro rata cash payment that needs no receipts, and documented out-of-pocket losses of up to $5,000 can be claimed on top with supporting records. Claims close December 21, 2026, the cash amount depends on how many people file, and filing on the official settlement site is free.

The eligibility period on the official materials is August 11, 2020 – August 13, 2020. The notice states no state limit, so it is usually nationwide. Covered: GettingOut, VisitNow, Command, Telmate Inmate Telephone, Guardian.

Only the official administrator or agency decides who is eligible. Read the official notice before filing, and file only if you believe you meet its criteria.

How much it may pay

Share of a $4.23M fund. Every figure here is an estimate from public materials, not a guarantee: many settlements pay pro rata or only after a claims review, so final amounts commonly land well below the advertised maximum.

The basic option is a pro rata cash payment with no receipts required: what is left of the fund after administration costs, court-approved fees and costs, the service award and approved documented-loss claims is divided among everyone who claimed it. Documented out-of-pocket losses can be claimed as well, up to $5,000 per person, with supporting records. With roughly 431,031 people in the class, the per-person cash figure depends entirely on how many claim, so treat any number you see as an estimate.

The $4,225,000 fund is non-reversionary, so nothing goes back to Telmate. It pays administration costs, court-approved attorneys' fees and cost reimbursement, a service award of $5,000 to the class representative, then approved documented-loss claims; the remainder is split pro rata among the cash claimants. Any money still unclaimed afterwards goes to a second distribution or, if that is not feasible, to the Electronic Privacy Information Center. The settlement agreement does not state the fee figure class counsel will request.

The administrator pays approved claims by Check, Electronic payment.

What the deadline is

The claim deadline is December 21, 2026.

The deadline to opt out or object is December 21, 2026.

The court's fairness hearing is set for February 12, 2027; payments do not go out until the settlement is finally approved and any appeals are resolved.

The settlement agreement says payments follow final approval, and only once the time to appeal has run or any appeal is resolved. The final approval hearing is reported for February 12, 2027.

What proof is needed

Notice ID / PIN from the official letter or email may be required.

The official claim form states exactly what it accepts; gather it before you start.

How to file for free

Open the official claim page on this page, run by Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, read the criteria, and file there if you believe you meet them. Filing is free: official claims never carry a fee, and this site never files on anyone's behalf.

Never give a Social Security number, bank login or card number to a site that is not the official administrator or agency page.

Why this case happened

Telmate, trading as ViaPath Technologies, sells phone, video, messaging and tablet services to incarcerated people and their families through platforms including GettingOut, VisitNow, Command, Guardian and Telmate Inmate Telephone. In August 2020 unauthorized actors reached files on its computer network. Telmate first notified 44,360 people, and only after a Federal Trade Commission investigation did it tell the rest that their information had in fact been exposed. The FTC's order against Global Tel*Link and its Telmate and TouchPay subsidiaries, finalized in February 2024, required better security and proper breach notice but provided no money to consumers; this settlement is the monetary piece that order did not include. Telmate denies any wrongdoing.