DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

RockYou Proposed Settlement Would Leave Decision Standing

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Dissent

Remember the RockYou breach that was disclosed in December 2009?  It still ranks as one of the 10 biggest breaches of all time in terms of number of records involved – 32 million users’ login credentials were involved.  A lawsuit over the breach created a buzz last year when it did not get dismissed out of hand for lack of standing or failure to demonstrate unreimbursed financial  harm. Now Craig Hoffman reports that there is a proposed settlement in the case:

The parties in the Claridge v. RockYou case submitted a proposed settlement agreement to the court for approval on November 14, 2011.  This case, which was filed shortly after RockYou disclosed a breach that compromised 32 million log-in credentials, received national attention in the spring.  In April 2011, the California federal district court declined to dismiss the plaintiff’s breach of contract and negligence claims by finding that: “at the present pleading stage, plaintiff has sufficiently alleged a general basis for harm by alleging that the breach of his PII has caused him to lose some ascertainable but unidentified “value” and/or property right inherent in the PII.”  Notwithstanding the court’s skepticism concerning the plaintiff’s ultimate ability to prove any actual damages, the court’s recognition of a property right in personal information sufficient to meet the Article III standing requirement was immediately advanced by plaintiffs in other similar cases.  Indeed, the RockYou decision and the recent First Circuit decision in Hannaford stand out from the seemingly constant stream of decisions dismissing putative class actions filed against companies who disclose data breaches.

The terms of the proposed settlement will undoubtedly raise some eyebrows because the plaintiff only gets $2,000 while the attorney gets $290,000. But the settlement would prevent a possible loss if the case goes forward and would allow the earlier ruling to stand, which might be of help to others in future cases.  You can read more on Data Privacy Monitor.

Related posts:

  • FTC releases proposed settlement order in RockYou breach; $250k fine for breaching COPPA
  • RockYou Sued for Failing to Protect the Personal Data of its 32 Million Customers
  • Operation Anti Security Breakdown and targets, the full time line
  • Loss of Personal Information in Security Breach Results in Loss of Some “Unidentified Value”
Category: Breach IncidentsBusiness SectorHackOf NoteU.S.

Post navigation

← Gary Vaynerchuk’s ‘Wine Library’ Hacked
A breach notice reminds us to verify that encryption is properly set up →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud
  • Swiss Health Foundation Radix Hit by Cyberattack Affecting Federal Data
  • Russian hackers get 7 and 5 years in prison for large-scale cyber attacks with ransomware, over 60 million euros in bitcoins seized
  • Bolton Walk-In Clinic patient data leak locked down (finally!)
  • 50 Customers of French Bank Hit by Insider SIM Swap Scam
  • Ontario health agency atHome ordered to inform 200,000 patients of March data breach
  • Fact-Checking Claims By Cybernews: The 16 Billion Record Data Breach That Wasn’t
  • Horizon Healthcare RCM discloses ransomware attack in December
  • Disgruntled IT Worker Jailed for Cyber Attack, Huddersfield
  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • The Trump administration is building a national citizenship data system
  • Supreme Court Decision on Age Verification Tramples Free Speech and Undermines Privacy
  • New Jersey Issues Draft Privacy Regulations: The New
  • Hacker helped kill FBI sources, witnesses in El Chapo case, according to watchdog report
  • Germany Wants Apple, Google to Remove DeepSeek From Their App Stores
  • Supreme Court upholds Texas law requiring age verification on porn sites
  • Justices nix Medicaid ‘right’ to choose doctor, defunding Planned Parenthood in South Carolina

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.