Verizon Rethinking Yahoo Buy After Breach; House Lawmakers Seek Email Scan Details

Verizon General Counsel Craig Silliman indicated the 2014 data breach of Yahoo's 500 million users (see 1609220046 and 1609230026) revealed last month might imperil the acquisition of the technology company. "I think we have a reasonable basis to believe right now that the impact is material and we're looking to Yahoo to demonstrate to us the full impact," Silliman said in a statement Thursday, provided by Verizon. "If they believe that it's not, then they'll need to show us that." A Verizon spokesman said the company is about 50 percent to 60 percent complete in its investigation into that matter. In response, a Yahoo spokeswoman emailed, "we are confident in Yahoo’s value and we continue to work towards integration with Verizon." Meanwhile, 31 Republican and 17 Democratic representatives on Friday wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, asking for a briefing on Yahoo's scanning its customers' emails to comply with a secret U.S. government order (see 1610050038). "There is significant confusion regarding the existence and nature of the program described by these [media] reports and legal questions implicated by the accuracy of specific details," wrote the coalition, led by Reps. Justin Amash, R-Mich., and Ted Lieu, D-Calif. In a news release, Amash said Congress has a responsibility to ensure surveillance practices comply with the Constitution and federal law.