TECHNOLOGY
The breaches occurred between 2013 and 2016
A U.S. judge said Yahoo must face nationwide litigation brought on behalf of well over 1 billion users who said their personal information was compromised in three massive data breaches.
Wednesday night's decision from U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, was a setback for efforts by Verizon Communications Inc, which paid $4.76 billion for Yahoo's Internet business in June, to limit potential liability.
The breaches occurred between 2013 and 2016, but Yahoo was slow to disclose them, waiting more than three years to reveal the first. Revelations about the scope of the cyber attacks prompted Verizon to lower its purchase price for the company.
In a 93-page decision, Koh rejected Yahoo's contention that breach victims lacked standing to sue, and said they could pursue some breach of contract and unfair competition claims.
"All plaintiffs have alleged a risk of future identity theft, in addition to loss of value of their personal identification information," the judge wrote.
Koh said some plaintiffs also alleged they had spent money to thwart future identity theft or that fraudsters had misused their data.
Others, meanwhile, could have changed passwords or canceled their accounts to stem losses had Yahoo not delayed disclosing the breaches, the judge said.
While many claims were dismissed, Koh said the plaintiffs could amend their complaint to address her concerns.
"We believe it to be a significant victory for consumers, and will address the deficiencies the court pointed out," John Yanchunis, a lawyer for the plaintiffs who chairs an executive committee overseeing the case, said in an interview. "It's the biggest data breach in the history of the world."
Verizon spokesman Bob Varettoni said the New York-based company declined to comment on pending litigation.
Yahoo is now part of a Verizon unit called Oath.
In court papers, Yahoo had argued that the breaches were "a triumph of criminal persistence" by a "veritable 'who's who' of cybercriminals," and that no security system is hack-proof.
On March 15, the U.S. Department of Justice charged two officers of the Russian Federal Security Service and two hackers in connection with the second breach in late 2014.
The August 2013 breach affected more than 1 billion accounts, while the 2014 breach affected more than 500 million. A third breach occurred in 2015 and 2016.
The case is In re: Yahoo Inc Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 16-md-02752.
When Abhishek Bachchan broke his silence on divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai: ‘Will you let me…”
Triupati Laddo row: Andhra Pradesh govt appoints BR Naidu as new chairman of Tirupati temple board
Meet man who left his IT job to build Indian brand, competes with Domino's, Pizza Hut, he is...
Diwali 2024: Know puja vidhi, shubh muhurat, significance, rituals and more
Meet man, whose father is a taxi driver, clears UPSC with AIR...
India's largest insurer gets demand notice of Rs 650000000 for...
DNA TV Show: Why RBI increasing gold reserves amid record high price of yellow metal
THIS Indian village has homes with no front doors, or locks, the reason is...
Delhi Pollution: Air quality dips to 'very poor' on Diwali eve, AQI reaches...
'There is so much potential...': Ramiz Raja's blunt Babar Azam comparison with Viv Richards
THIS Tata Group company approves Rs 5666 crore investment for new project, set to build...
Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir resort to desperate '35-bowler' tactic ahead of IND vs NZ 3rd Test
Meet man who was once thrown out of a luxury hotel, now owns it, he is from...
7th Pay Commission: Good news for government employees of THIS state! DA hiked by...
IPL 2025 retention: Shubman Gill emulates MS Dhoni, accepts multi-crore pay cut for THIS reason
'Vocal for local': Manu Bhaker chooses handmade 'mitti' diyas for Diwali, shares pic
Watch: Boss gifts diamond pendants, chains to woman employees, video goes viral
Ahead of Diwali, Gautam Adani gets richer by Rs 39000 crore after...
'I have not worked out': This is how Vidya Balan achieved drastic weight loss without exercising
IPL 2025: Major setback for Shreyas Iyer as Kolkata Knight Riders release explosive retention update
ICC Rankings: Jasprit Bumrah dethroned as No. 1 Test bowler; Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli out of top 10
Sobhita Dhulipala, Naga Chaitanya wedding date revealed? Star couple will be tying knot on...
Meet man, IIM alumnus, who leads India's 2nd largest telecom company worth Rs 978000 crore, he is...
Why do we add Rs 1 coin in 'Shagun' envelope?
Govardhan Puja 2024: Know the date, shubh muhurat, rituals, significance of worshipping Lord Krishna
7-foot-long crocodile enters residence, here's what happened next
MS Dhoni takes cheeky dig at fans speculating IPL retentions, says 'everyone is a team owner....'
Diwali 2024: 5 must try sugar-free recipes for diabetics this Diwali
Virat Kohli set to lead RCB in IPL 2025? Here's the inside scoop ahead of retention day
Diwali GIFT! After DA hike, HRA increased of govt employees in this state; check details
Delhi Metro announces revision in train timings for Diwali, check details
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio leads THIS list for third consecutive quarter, outpaces global...
Gautam Adani's flagship company's shares surge over 5% after Q2 results, market cap reaches Rs...
Chhoti Diwali 2024: Know the shubh muhurat, puja vidhi, significance for Naraka Chaturdashi
'India vibes': Viral video shows Australian homes lit up for Diwali, WATCH
Singham Again vs Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 box office clash: Which film has got more screens and theatres?
Friends actress Teri Garr passes away due to multiple sclerosis
Meet Aloo Mistry, Tata Trusts' chairman Noel Tata's wife, her famous father is...
Tesla CEO Elon Musk buys secret luxury compound worth Rs 290 crore for...
India in Last 24 Hr: Suraj Yadav’s Instagram page crosses 1 million followers in just 6 months
'Drama queen' Ananya Panday gives 'forced kisses' to Bhavana Pandey, adorable video goes VIRAL
Review unlocking power of people analytics: Vibhu Verma's vision for data-driven workforce
King Charles on first India tour with Queen Camilla post-coronation, is on a personal visit to...
Salman Khan gets death threat again, Rs 2 crore demanded, Mumbai police takes action
REVEALED: Mukesh Ambani's Diwali hamper to Reliance employees includes...; watch video
Kerala CPI(M) leader Divya arrested in ADM suicide case after bail plea rejected
Film editor Nishad Yusuf found dead in Kerala, police investigates
THIS village has replaced its young people with mannequins, reason is...
'We are closely...': US welcomes India-China agreement on border disengagement
UK issues urgent travel warning for 18 countries, reason is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality mildly improves ahead of Diwali, AQI remains 'poor' category