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The $85 million figure in the 2018 headline was a reported proposal, not the final amount of Yahoo’s U.S. consumer class-action settlement. A later amended agreement established a $117.5 million fund, and a federal court granted final approval in 2020. The settlement’s claims deadline has passed.
What did the $85 million figure mean?
On October 24, 2018, CyberScoop reported that Yahoo had agreed to pay up to $85 million to resolve consumer class actions related to its data breaches. The reported proposal comprised a $50 million consumer reimbursement fund and up to $35 million in attorneys’ fees. It also provided for credit monitoring and identity-theft protection for eligible participants. The $85 million was therefore a proposed settlement figure, not the amount ultimately set aside in the amended national consumer settlement. CyberScoop’s October 2018 report
How did the settlement change?
An amended agreement filed April 9, 2019, set the national consumer class-action settlement fund at $117.5 million. Altaba and Verizon each were to contribute half. The Northern District of California preliminarily approved the amended deal on July 20, 2019. Altaba’s SEC filing describing the agreement and its procedural history
| Figure | Date and status | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $85 million | Reported October 24, 2018 as a proposed settlement | Proposal reported as a $50 million consumer reimbursement fund plus up to $35 million in attorneys’ fees; credit monitoring and identity-theft protection were also described. |
| $117.5 million | Established by the amended agreement filed April 9, 2019; final approval granted in 2020 | The final national consumer class-action settlement fund, with Altaba and Verizon each paying half. |
What did the court approve?
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California filed its amended order granting final approval on July 21, 2020. The order describes the $117.5 million as the final settlement fund and cites the parties’ asserted settlement-class estimate of 194 million. The court wrote that “the fact that the $117.5 million Settlement Fund is a significant sum in absolute terms.” The court’s amended final approval order
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How do the breach totals relate to the settlement?
The breach-impact figures are not measures of settlement claimants or unique people. CyberScoop’s 2018 account said Yahoo’s 2013 breach, disclosed in 2016, was eventually reported to affect all 3 billion Yahoo accounts. It also said the 2014 breach, disclosed in September 2016, affected more than 500 million users. Those are figures associated with the separate incidents as recounted in that dated report. CyberScoop’s account of the reported breach scale
The court’s 194 million figure, by contrast, was an estimate of the settlement class asserted by the parties. It is not the number of breached accounts, and the cited order does not establish it as the number of people who actually filed claims.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you still claim money from the Yahoo settlement?
No. The U.S. settlement administrator lists July 20, 2020, as the claim filing deadline. The objection and exclusion deadlines were March 6, 2020, and have also passed. The case was titled In re: Yahoo! Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, No. 5:16-MD-02752-LHK. U.S. settlement administrator
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