Leer en Español
Telecommunications giant T-Mobile agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit for $350 million after a 2021 cyberattack exposed the personal information of over 76 million current, past, and prospective customers. In a court filing earlier this month, the company pledged $350 million to fund cash disbursements for affected customers and earmarked an additional $150 million to improve their own internal security and data protection systems.
The T-Mobile data breach compromised names, Social Security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, and driver’s license data. John Binns, a 21-year-old hacker living in Turkey, claimed responsibility for the cyberattack. Binns told The Wall Street Journal that he “was panicking because I had access to something big,” and opined that T-Mobile’s “security is awful.”
In a public statement, T-Mobile said it was “pleased to have resolved this consumer class action filing,” but fell short of admitting to liability, wrongdoing, or responsibility. The breach is the fifth such attack on T-Mobile since 2015. “Customers are first in everything we do and protecting their information is a top priority,” the company spokesperson said. “Like every company, we are not immune to these criminal attacks.”
“Despite warnings from security experts that T-Mobile’s cybersecurity was poor, T-Mobile failed to bolster its cybersecurity, making the company an easy target for hackers seeking access to their customers’ personal data,” said John H. Ruiz, Founder and CEO of MSP Recovery, which powers LifeWallet, a consumer healthcare app.
To date, T-Mobile has identified over 76 million U.S. residents whose information was compromised and may be eligible for compensation. Those seeking to determine their compensation eligibility status can do so by emailing the Settlement Administrator or calling 833-512-2314. The deadline to object to, or be excluded from, the settlement is December 8, 2022. The deadline to file a claim is January 23, 2023.
Ben Kew is English Editor of El American. He studied politics and modern languages at the University of Bristol where he developed a passion for the Americas and anti-communist movements. He previously worked as a national security correspondent for Breitbart News. He has also written for The Spectator, Spiked, PanAm Post, and The Independent
---
Ben Kew es editor en inglés de El American. Estudió política y lenguas modernas en la Universidad de Bristol, donde desarrolló una pasión por las Américas y los movimientos anticomunistas. Anteriormente trabajó como corresponsal de seguridad nacional para Breitbart News. También ha escrito para The Spectator, Spiked, PanAm Post y The Independent.