TED.com Viewing Privacy Settlement: Cash or Free Membership

A proposed settlement addresses claims that TED shared account holders' personal details and video-watching activity with outside service providers without getting their informed written consent, allegedly violating the federal Video Privacy Protection Act.

TED disputes any wrongdoing. The company says it never paired account holders' names or emails with their viewing history, that any data sent to third parties was encrypted and encoded, and that its use of outside software was a normal, permitted part of running its internal operations. No court has ruled on who is right.

Coverage extends to TED account holders who streamed a prerecorded video via TED.com or TED's iOS or Android app during the covered timeframe.

Eligible people who don't file a claim will automatically be emailed a link to activate two free months of TED Membership, worth an estimated $10 or more, once the settlement is finally approved.

Alternatively, you can file a claim for a cash payment of up to $5. That amount could shrink proportionally if total approved claims exceed the settlement's $350,000 cash pool. You may also choose to redirect your cash award as a donation back to TED. Note that you can't collect both the cash payment and the free membership, it's one or the other.

To file, you'll need the Claim ID and PIN listed on your settlement notice, plus your name, mailing address, and the email tied to your TED account. You must also swear, under penalty of perjury, that you held a TED account, used TED while in the United States, and watched a prerecorded video during the covered period.

Only one claim per person is allowed. The settlement administrator may audit submissions, ask for more information, reject claims found to be fraudulent, or give claimants a single 21-day window to fix an incomplete claim.

The court has granted preliminary approval, with a final approval hearing set for November 12, 2026. No cash payments or membership activation links will go out unless and until the settlement receives final approval.