AT&T Data Breach Lawsuits Seek Damages for 70M Customers Whose Information Was Released

Class action lawsuits over the AT&T data breach seek financial compensation for millions of customers, alleging the service provider failed to prevent the posting of social security numbers and other information on the dark web.

Following a massive cybersecurity hack that exposed the personal information of roughly 73 million customers, a growing number of AT&T data breach lawsuits are now being filed against the service provider, after the stolen data was leaked and posted publicly on an internet hacking forum last month.

AT&T first became aware of a potential data breach in 2021, when the hacker group Shiny Hunters claimed to have compromised the company’s systems, and were attempting to sell a database containing sensitive customer information. Initially, AT&T contested the legitimacy of these claims, stating that the samples of the leaked data provided by Shiny Hunters did not correspond to their records.

Rather than investigating the potential leak of millions of client records and notifying customers and regulators, the lawsuits claim AT&T continued to deny the validity of the breach until March 2024, when a hacker known as “MajorNelson” leaked the entire database for free.

AT&T Admits to Data Breach

It was only after the sensitive client information was publicly released that the telecom giant launched an investigation and admitted the data did indeed belong to their customers.

In a press release issued by AT&T on March 30, the company disclosed that the data breach exposed the names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, and email addresses of approximately 7.6 million current account holders and approximately 65.4 million former account holders.

According to AT&T, the exposed data dates back to 2019 and earlier. However, the company has yet to identify the source of the unauthorized access to its systems that resulted in the massive release of customer data.

Although the AT&T data breach occurred years ago, the service provider has just now started sending Notice of data breach letters and emails to customers who had their social security numbers, dates of births and other sensitive personal information released. AT&T stated they are also offering complimentary identity theft and credit monitoring services to customers, but AT&T data breach lawsuits filed in recent weeks seek substantially more in damages for those impacted.

AT&T Data Breach Class Action Lawsuits

According to allegations raised in a number of different AT&T customer class action lawsuits, the telecom giant failed to adequately protect customer data and did not providing timely, adequate notification about the data breach, thus exposing customers to a greater risks of identity theft and fraud.

In one of the first complaints (PDF) filed on April 2, Alex Petroski seeks certification of a class action lawsuit against AT&T in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, claiming that the data breach was a direct result of AT&T’s failure to implement adequate and reasonable cyber-security procedures and protocols necessary to protect consumers’ personally identifiable information (PII) from a foreseeable and preventable cyber-attack.

Petroski claims AT&T handled PII in a manner that was not only reckless, but also vulnerable to cyberattacks. The complaint states that AT&T was allegedly aware that their methods of transmitting and storing PII could easily be compromised, yet failed to take adequate steps to secure this sensitive data were not implemented, leaving it exposed to potential cyber threats.

The complaints further states AT&T failed to provide timely and accurate notification to the plaintiffs and other class members about the breach, which could have mitigated some of the damages earlier.

More than a dozen similar AT&T data breach lawsuits have similarly been filed, each raising similar allegations and seeking damages for different categories of customers. In addition, lawyers expect a number of individual claims to be pursued as well, seeking financial compensation for those who had their social security number or other sensitive information published.

Petition to Consolidate AT&T Data Breach Class Action Lawsuits

Given common questions of fact and law raised in complaints now being filed throughout the federal court system, a motion to transfer (PDF) was filed with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) earlier this month, requesting claims filed throughout the federal district court system be consolidated for pretrial proceedings before one judge as part of an AT&T data breach lawsuit MDL (multidistrict litigation).

The motion, also filed by Petroski, requests the litigation be consolidated in the Northern District of Texas, where the majority of complaints have been filed. According to the motion, eleven lawsuits are currently filed in the Northern District of Texas, while only one has been filed in the Western District of Oklahoma.

Petroski argues that due to the extensive nature of the data breach and the likelihood of the litigation to grow in the coming months and years, it is appropriate to centralize the claims to streamline the process, prevent inconsistent rulings, and facilitate the proceedings for both the court and the involved parties.

AT&T Data Breach Lawyers Reviewing Cases Nationwide

If the JPML chooses to consolidate the lawsuits before one judge, pretrial proceedings will be coordinated to avoid duplicative discovery into common issues in the cases, and the court will likely establish a bellwether program where a small group of cases will be prioritized, to help gauge how juries may interpret expert testimony and evidence likely to be used in thousands of trials.

As the size and scope of the litigation continues to increase, AT&T data breach lawyers are providing free consultations and claim evaluations for individuals who have had their identifies stolen or suffered losses due to the AT&T data breach. Learn more about how to sign up for the AT&T data breach class action lawsuit.

To determine whether you or a loved one may be eligible for an AT&T data breach lawsuit settlement, submit information about your potential claim for review by a lawyer to determine whether a settlement or lawsuit payout may be available. There are no fees or expenses unless a recovery is obtained in your case.