Comcast has agreed to pay $117.5 million in the Xfinity 2023 cyber breach settlement tied to an October 2023 security incident that exposed personal information. The claims process is now open for customers who got a breach notice in December 2023, and the filing deadline is Sept. 14.
The class-action settlement covers current or former Xfinity customers whose information was accessed and who were notified in December 2023. Eligible claimants can seek reimbursement for documented out-of-pocket expenses or lost time, with payments capped at $10,000, or choose a $50 alternative cash payment.
Comcast says no wrongdoing
The lawsuit alleged that Comcast failed to properly protect personal information and had inadequate data security. Comcast denied any wrongdoing while agreeing to the settlement, a common split in breach cases where a payout resolves claims without an admission of liability.
Comcast said the personal information in the breach included usernames, passwords, contact information, dates of birth and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. For affected customers, the practical question is whether their notice in December 2023 places them inside the settlement class; not every Comcast customer qualifies.
Sept. 14 claim deadline
Sept. 14 is the cutoff for online claims, and paper forms must also be postmarked no later than that date. The same deadline applies to claims for the $50 alternative payment and to reimbursement claims for out-of-pocket losses.
Aug. 5 is the final approval hearing date, and payments are expected after that hearing. For customers who preserved records, the settlement gives a path to claim documented losses up to $10,000; for everyone else in the class, the $50 option offers a simpler filing route.
After Aug. 5 payments
After Aug. 5, the process turns from court review to distribution. The unresolved question is how many eligible customers will file and how large individual payments will be once valid claims are reviewed against the settlement terms.
