Consumers Can Sue Yahoo for Data Breach, Judge Rules

As many as 3 billion consumers whose data was compromised in Yahoo breaches can sue, a judge ruled. “Plaintiffs’ allegations are sufficient to show that they would have behaved differently had Defendants disclosed the security weaknesses of the Yahoo Mail system,” U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh for the Northern District of California wrote, released Friday evening. Koh rejected a request from Verizon to dismiss the claims. Verizon, which bought Yahoo’s internet business in June, objected to claims of negligence, breach of contract and fair dealing, among others. Yahoo was criticized for its pace in informing users and the public of three data breaches between 2013 and 2016. Verizon didn't comment.