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If you’re a Comcast customer, you may be eligible to claim part of the $117.5 million data breach settlement. The latest case centers around a cybersecurity incident that occurred in October 2023, in which data thieves gained access to millions of Xfinity customers’ personal information.
When Comcast Notify users of the violation (PDF) In December 2023, the company admitted that data thieves stole usernames, passwords, names, contact information, dates of birth, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
In a class action lawsuit, Hassoun v. Comcast Cable Communications LLC (PDF), the agents asserted that Comcast was liable for monetary damages and for the time it spent pursuing identity theft protection related to the breach. While Comcast has denied any wrongdoing, the company reached a preliminary settlement in January, agreeing to pay $117.5 million to 36 million affected customers.
the The official settlement website It is now available, although payments will not begin until after the final court approval hearing. That hearing is currently scheduled for July 7.
If you qualify for settlement payouts, you can The file is on the website now. You need the unique Settlement Member ID number listed on the initial online communication sent to affected Comcast customers to file a claim.
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You have multiple options if you do not want to file a claim. If you object to the agreed-upon settlement, you can write to the court or ask for permission to speak at the final approval hearing.
You may also opt out of the settlement, which will allow you to retain your right to sue Comcast separately in connection with this data breach. If you do not file a claim or opt out of the settlement by August 14, you will forfeit payment from this settlement.
As part of the settlement, Comcast must pay for and provide identity defense services to any affected member of the class action. In contrast to the settlement payments, affected customers who have not filed a claim will be able to apply for identity defense services. Any person who chooses not to participate in the settlement will not be eligible for these services.
Representatives for Comcast and the law firm Lynch Carpenter LLP, which served as lead counsel for the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Who can be part of the Comcast settlement?
Not all Comcast customers are automatically eligible to claim a portion of the settlement damages — the money is reserved for people whose personal information was accessed during the 2023 data breach.
In order to join, you must meet these three qualifications:
- Be a living, individual human being in the United States or its territories.
- Comcast services were used during the October 2023 data breach.
- You received a notification that you were affected by the Comcast data breach.
While the court is scheduled to hold a final approval meeting on July 7, those affected can submit a claim on the official settlement website until August 14. The time and date of the approval meeting are subject to change. Any updates will be posted on the website.
While some class action settlements pay a lump sum to affected customers who do not file a claim, this is not the case for Hasson v. Comcast Cable Communications LLC. You must file a claim and provide a payment method by the deadline to be reimbursed as part of the settlement.
How much will the Comcast settlement pay?
The amount of money each claimant will receive will be proportional to the out-of-pocket losses or lost time you can prove incurred as a result of the data breach.
The maximum total payment per claim is $10,000 and is affected by the total settlement funds and the number of affected customers who file a claim.
If you do not want to go through the process of proving that out-of-pocket losses or lost time are related to the data breach, you may instead choose to accept an alternative cash payment of $50. The alternative cash payment is subject to change depending on the total number of claimants.
One-third of the settlement funds ($39.2 million) were allocated to pay attorney’s fees, subject to court approval. After this amount is paid, the remaining settlement funds will be divided among the settlement members who submitted the claim form before the deadline.
Whether you are seeking compensation for out-of-pocket losses, lost time, or accepting the alternative of cash payment, you must file by August 14. Payments will be distributed after the final approval hearing, assuming there are no appeals.