Comcast has agreed to pay $117.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over the October 2023 cybersecurity breach that exposed the personal information of millions of Xfinity customers. The settlement is now open for claims, giving some current and former customers a chance to seek money before the Sept. 14 deadline.
Eligible claimants can pursue reimbursement for documented out-of-pocket expenses or lost time, with payments of up to $10,000 available for valid claims. Some customers can instead choose an alternative cash payment of $50 if they do not try to prove losses, but not every Comcast customer qualifies for a payout.
The claims process is aimed at people who received a breach notification from Comcast in December 2023, which means the settlement class is narrower than the full Xfinity customer base. Comcast told customers the information exposed in the breach included usernames, passwords, contact information, dates of birth and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
That matters because the lawsuit alleges Comcast failed to properly protect personal information and had inadequate data security, while Comcast denied wrongdoing in agreeing to the deal. The settlement puts a dollar figure on a dispute that has already spanned nearly a year, but it does not answer how many customers will file or how large the average payment will be.
Claims can be filed online by Sept. 14, and paper forms must be postmarked by the same date. A final approval hearing is scheduled for Aug. 5, and payments are expected after that hearing if the settlement wins approval. For customers still deciding whether to file, the clock is now the biggest issue.
