Published
February 18, 2026
Updated
August 4, 2026
This approved $9.5 million Lee Enterprises privacy settlement covers certain newspaper subscribers who filed valid claims; the claim window is closed and the page reports an estimated $41 payment.
Lee Enterprises Privacy Settlement: What Happened?
Lee Enterprises is the fourth-largest newspaper chain in the United States, operating 72 daily newspapers and more than 350 weekly and specialty publications. The lawsuit alleged that Lee installed the Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel) — a piece of invisible tracking code — on its newspaper websites. When a paid subscriber visited a Lee website and watched a video, the Pixel allegedly captured what video they viewed and sent that information, along with the subscriber's Facebook ID, directly to Meta. This happened without the subscriber's knowledge or consent.The Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) is a federal law that makes it illegal for a video service provider to share a subscriber's personally identifiable information — including what videos they watched — without written consent. The VPPA was originally passed in 1988 after a reporter obtained and published the video rental records of a Supreme Court nominee, but it applies broadly to any service that provides video content to subscribers, including online newspaper sites that host news videos.
Lee Enterprises denied that it violated the VPPA or any other law but agreed to settle to avoid the uncertainty and expense of continued litigation.
Status
Final approval granted
Claims are closed
Settlement Fund
$9.5 million
More than 30,000 claims were filed
Estimated Payment
About $41
For valid claims, as reported
Lee Enterprises Settlement: Key Facts and Timeline
The case is Stoudemire, et al. v. Lee Enterprises, Inc., Case No. 3:22-cv-00086-SHL-WPK, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (Davenport Division).The subscribers who brought the case filed the lawsuit on December 19, 2022. Lee filed a motion to dismiss, which the court denied on July 20, 2023. After extensive discovery and a 30(b)(6) deposition of Lee's corporate representative, the parties mediated with retired Judge Wayne R. Andersen on November 5, 2024. Judge Andersen proposed the $9.5 million settlement, and both sides accepted.
The court granted preliminary approval, and notice was sent to approximately 1.5 million class members by email and mail. The claim deadline was July 17, 2025. Over 30,000 claims were filed. No class member objected to the settlement.
Claim Deadline: July 17, 2025 (passed)
Final Approval Hearing: August 14, 2025
Final Approval Granted: August 14, 2025 (Judge Stephen H. Locher)
Judgment Entered: August 25, 2025
Settlement Funded: October 2025 (paid in full by Lee's insurance carriers)
Estimated Payment Per Claimant: $41.01
Which Newspapers Are Covered by This Lee Enterprises Settlement?
Lee Enterprises owns 72 daily newspapers in 25 states. If you were a paid subscriber of any of the following publications, had a Facebook account, and accessed video content on the newspaper's website between December 19, 2020 and March 4, 2025, you were a class member:St. Louis Post-Dispatch (stltoday.com), Buffalo News (buffalonews.com), Omaha World-Herald (omaha.com), Tulsa World (tulsaworld.com), Richmond Times-Dispatch (richmond.com), Arizona Daily Star (tucson.com), Winston-Salem Journal (journalnow.com), Greensboro News & Record (greensboro.com), Roanoke Times (roanoke.com), The Pantagraph (pantagraph.com), Billings Gazette (billingsgazette.com), Bismarck Tribune (bismarcktribune.com), Missoulian (missoulian.com), Lincoln Journal Star (journalstar.com), Quad-City Times (qctimes.com), Sioux City Journal (siouxcityjournal.com), Press of Atlantic City (pressofatlanticcity.com), La Crosse Tribune (lacrossetribune.com), Rapid City Journal (rapidcityjournal.com), Daily Progress (dailyprogress.com) in Charlottesville, The Courier (wcfcourier.com) in Waterloo, NWI Times (nwitimes.com) in Munster, Herald & Review (herald-review.com) in Decatur, Casper Star-Tribune (trib.com), Bryan-College Station Eagle (theeagle.com), Waco Tribune-Herald (wacotrib.com), Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star (fredericksburg.com), Lynchburg News & Advance (newsadvance.com), Danville Register & Bee (godanriver.com), Herald Courier (heraldcourier.com) in Bristol, Kenosha News (kenoshanews.com), Racine Journal Times (journaltimes.com), Dothan Eagle (dothaneagle.com), Auburn-Opelika News (oanow.com), Helena Independent Record (helenair.com), Montana Standard (mtstandard.com) in Butte, Times-News (magicvalley.com) in Twin Falls, Elko Daily Free Press (elkodaily.com), Globe Gazette (globegazette.com) in Mason City, Muscatine Journal (muscatinejournal.com), and dozens more.
A complete list of Lee publications is available at lee.net/markets.
How and When Will Payments Arrive?
Settlement payments are sent 90 days after final approval and the completion of any appeal period. Final approval was granted August 14, 2025 and judgment was entered August 25, 2025. Lee's insurance carriers funded the full $9.5 million in October 2025.When you filed your claim, you chose a payment method: Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, Visa gift card, or check. Your payment will arrive through whichever method you selected. If you chose a Visa gift card or check, it will be mailed to the address you provided on your claim form. All checks expire 180 days after they are issued, so make sure to cash or deposit them promptly when they arrive.
If you filed a claim and haven't received payment yet, check leesettlement.com for the latest updates.
What Is the Meta Pixel and Why Was It a Problem?
The Meta Pixel (formerly called the Facebook Pixel) is a tiny piece of invisible code that a website owner installs on their site. It runs in the background every time someone visits a page. Its purpose is to track what visitors do — what pages they view, what buttons they click, and in this case, what videos they watch.When a Lee newspaper subscriber logged into their account and watched a news video, the Pixel allegedly captured the title of the video and matched it with the subscriber's Facebook ID. This information was then sent to Meta, allowing Facebook to build an advertising profile based on the subscriber's news video viewing habits. The subscriber had no idea this was happening and never gave consent.
This type of tracking has become the basis for dozens of VPPA lawsuits across the country. Any website that hosts video content and uses the Meta Pixel potentially faces similar liability if it shares subscriber video viewing data without consent.
Can I Still File a Claim?
No. The claim deadline was July 17, 2025, and it has passed. The settlement has already received final approval. If you did not file a claim and were part of the class, your claims against Lee related to this conduct have been released. You will not receive a payment.Other Class Action Settlements You May Qualify For
If you missed this settlement, here are other active class action settlements you may qualify for:• Amazon Returns Settlement — $309.5 million
• Target WA Privacy Settlement — $225 per person
• Dapper Labs VPPA Privacy Settlement — up to $5 (NBA Top Shot, NFL All Day users)
• Grubhub/Seamless California Delivery Fee Settlement — $10 site credit
• DoorDash Chicago Settlement — up to $2,500
• Wells Fargo CARES Act Mortgage Settlement — $56.85 million automatic
• Flo Health Fertility Data Privacy Settlement
Check back regularly for new settlements.
Sources
• Court filings, Stoudemire v. Lee Enterprises, Inc., No. 3:22-cv-00086 (S.D. Iowa)• Settlement Website: leesettlement.com
• Lee Enterprises 10-Q filing, February 11, 2026
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Status
Final approval granted; claims closed
Case Title
Stoudemire et al. v. Lee Enterprises, Inc.
Case Number
3:22-cv-00086-SHL-WPK
Court
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa
Official Website
Lee Settlement Website
