Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Delaware joins Uber data breach settlement

The ride sharing company Uber will pay Delaware more than $643,000 as part of a multi-state settlement of a data breach involving its drivers.

All 50 states and Washington, D.C. will split about $148 million as part of the settlement.

 

Uber learned in November 2016 that hackers had accessed personal information – including drivers’ licence information – of about 600,000 of its drivers nationwide.  But the company did not report it in a timely manner – waiting until a year later in violation of Delaware and other states’ privacy laws

The state Department of Justice estimates about 639 Delawareans driving for Uber at the time were affected.  Each will receive 100 dollars from the settlement.

The remainder of the money coming to Delaware will go toward the state Consumer Protection Fund.

Uber is also making changes to its security practices as part of the settlement.

 

“It is critically important that companies protect the sensitive personal information of the people using their services, and that they inform those people in a timely fashion when that information is improperly acquired,” said Attorney General Matt Denn in a statement. “This settlement will ensure that Uber improves its data security efforts, and holds Uber accountable for not informing drivers that their information was breached.”

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.