Uber to Pay $2.2 Million to Its WA State Drivers Over Data Breach

Uber drivers in Washington state who were affected by a 2016 data breach will receive more than $2.2 million under terms of a judgment filed Thursday in King County Superior Court.

The judgment resolves a lawsuit filed by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson against the international ride-sharing company over the data breach, as well as an investigation into Uber’s data security practices.

The breach affected more than 57 million drivers and passengers worldwide, including nearly 13,000 Uber drivers in Washington state. Uber waited more than a year before it revealed the breach publicly or notified the Attorney General’s Office. Most Washingtonians who drove for Uber in 2013 and 2014 will each receive $170.

The money for drivers is part of about $5.8 million Uber will pay for violating Washington state’s data breach notification law and for failing to adequately safeguard the personal data of Uber drivers.  (KOMO 4 news, September 26, 2018)
--

I previously posted about the Uber Data Breach on December 2, 2017. While this settlement with Uber may give each of its drivers $170, and Uber has also offered free credit monitoring, this does not recover the data lost by Uber.

Data breaches are not unique to Uber. Anytime that you provide your personal information to a business or to a government agency, there is a high probability that your personal information will be compromised at sometime in the future. When it comes to data breaches it is not a question of "IF" there will be a breach, it is just a question of "WHEN".