Yahoo Data Breach Settlement: A $20 Million Class Action
A significant development has emerged for Canadian users of Yahoo and Rogers email services. A $20 million class action settlement is now open for claims, stemming from a series of data breaches that occurred between 2013 and 2016. The yahoo data breach settlement affects a substantial number of individuals whose personal information may have been compromised.
What Happened in the Yahoo and Rogers Data Breach
The class action lawsuit addresses a series of security failures at Yahoo that resulted in the exposure of personal information belonging to over 1 billion users globally. These breaches, which occurred in 2013, 2014, and between 2015 and 2016, involved the theft of vast amounts of user data, including usernames, passwords, security questions, and other sensitive information. Yahoo initially announced the 2013 and 2014 breaches in 2016, and the 2015-2016 breach in 2017.
The rogers data breach, impacting Rogers Yahoo email users, is included in the settlement as well. The scale of the 2013 and 2014 breaches, exposing information from more than 1 billion users, was described by Yahoo as the biggest ever hack of an email provider, costing the company $350 million. The plaintiffs allege that Yahoo failed to implement adequate data security measures, leading to these massive data breaches. Yahoo, while settling the class action, denies any wrongdoing.
Who is Eligible for the Yahoo Data Breach Settlement?
Eligibility for this data breach settlement is straightforward. Canadian residents who possessed a Yahoo account at any point between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2016, are included. Crucially, this also encompasses Canadian Rogers customers who utilized the Rogers Yahoo email service during the same period. To successfully file a claim, individuals need to demonstrate that the data breaches resulted in wasted time spent responding to the incidents and provide documentation of their Yahoo email address.
How Much Can You Receive?
The potential payout varies depending on the nature of the Yahoo account held. Eligible users with a standard Yahoo account can receive up to $375. However, Yahoo users who subscribed to paid services (ad-free, premium, or small business accounts) during the affected period may be eligible for a substantially larger amount, up to $25,000, to cover costs incurred due to the breaches.
Those seeking this higher payout must provide documentation of their payments and any expenses incurred as a result of identity theft or other issues stemming from the breaches. They’ll also need to submit an attestation that costs were incurred due to the data breaches.
It is important to note that the final payout amount might be reduced if the total number of claims exceeds the available settlement funds.
How to Apply for the Yahoo Data Breach Settlement
The deadline for submitting claims is December 27th. Claim forms can be completed online via the official settlement website. The process requires providing evidence of account ownership and details related to any time spent addressing the consequences of the breaches.
The yahoo data breach settlement provides a significant opportunity for affected Canadian Yahoo and Rogers Yahoo email users to seek compensation for the inconvenience and potential risks associated with the data breaches. The timely submission of claims is crucial to ensure participation in this important class action.
