How Comcast customers can claim its $117M data breach settlement

Cable and Internet service giant Comcast recently reached a $117.5 million class-action settlement concerning a 2023 data breach, and affected customers now are eligible to claim a portion of that settlement fund.

Comcast agreed to the settlement in January after an “unauthorized third-party” accessed customers’ personal information, according to the settlement website. In a notice sent to affected customers in December 2023, Comcast said the data thieves took usernames and passwords, as well as names, contact information, dates of birth and in some cases Social Security information.

The settlement still is awaiting final approval, which will be determined by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in a hearing July. 7, but those affected by the data breach already can file for compensation.

As part of the settlement, Comcast has not admitted to any wrongdoing, and the company’s December 2023 notice blamed the data breach on Citrix, a software provider for Xfinity.

Here’s how to file a claim for part of the Comcast data breach settlement:

Comcast customers, or former customers, can claim a part of the settlement if they were sent a notice of the October 2023 data breach on or around Dec. 18, 2023, that their personal information had been accessed, according to the settlement website.

In total, approximately 31.6 million people are eligible to claim a portion of the settlement, according to court documents, although likely far fewer will. Class-action claims rates usually sit in the single digits, according to studies by the Federal Trade Commission.

Affected Comcast customers can fill out a form online to file a claim. The form must be submitted by Aug. 14.

Customers also can mail the form Hasson v. Comcast Cable Communications LLC c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC P.O. Box 5324 New York, NY 10150-5324. It must be postmarked by Aug. 14.

Those who do not want to be part of the settlement or want to reserve their rights to sue Comcast independently will need to submit a written notice via mail by June. 1.

How much a customer can receive depends on both how many people file claims and what type of claim(s) they file.

Affected Comcast customers can file for reimbursement of out-of-pocket losses and lost time due to identity theft that they can trace back to the data breach. 

The total available for out-of-pocket losses is not specified, but customers can receive up to $150 at $30 per hour if they can demonstrate at least five hours of lost time dealing with the consequences of the settlement.

Alternatively, if customers’ data was exposed in the breach but they opt not to demonstrate specific losses, they can claim an “alternative cash payment,” which will be up to $50, depending on how many people file claims.

At the earliest, Comcast customers will not receive a payment until later this year, as the final settlement hearing takes place on July. 7.

Even then, the settlement website cautions, payments may be delayed if there are legal appeals to the final agreement. 

“It is always uncertain whether appeals will be filed and, if so, how long it will take to resolve them,” the settlement website reads. “Settlement Class Member Benefits will be distributed as soon as possible.”