T-Mobile Is Being Sued By Washington State For Downplaying The Severity Of 2021's Breach

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

TL;DR

T-Mobile is being sued by the state of Washington over a 2021 security breach incident.
While T-Mobile already settled a class action lawsuit for $350 million around the breach, the new consumer protection suit accuses T-Mobile of failing to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Washington’s Attorney General further asserts T-Mobile not only knew about its poor security practices prior to the hack, it also mishandled how it alerted customers impacted by it.

T-Mobile has experienced several major data breach incidents in recent years, resulting in numerous lawsuits. One of the most significant breaches began in March 2021 and ultimately exposed the personal data of over 79 million people nationwide. T-Mobile already settled a class-action lawsuit over the incident for $350 million in 2022. However, the state of Washington has now filed a consumer protection lawsuit, alleging that T-Mobile failed to address the cybersecurity vulnerabilities that led to the hacks in the first place.

The new lawsuit, filed by Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, alleges that T-Mobile was aware of its vulnerabilities for years and engaged in poor practices, including using obvious passwords to protect accounts that could access consumer information. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims T-Mobile failed to properly notify the more than two million Washington residents impacted by the breach.

Most of the communication with affected customers was done via text messages that were brief and often omitted critical, legally required information or downplayed the severity of the situation. For example, customers whose Social Security numbers had been exposed were largely left in the dark about the extent of the breach, making it difficult for them to determine if and to what degree their personal information had been compromised.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for customers impacted by the breach and a court order compelling T-Mobile to improve its cybersecurity practices, which Ferguson alleges are significantly below industry standards. It remains unclear how this lawsuit will proceed. However, such cases often result in settlements that include financial restitution and additional fines.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time T-Mobile has faced scrutiny from the state of Washington. Previously, Attorney General Ferguson raised concerns about T-Mobile’s advertising practices, alleging deceptive claims regarding financing terms. Ultimately, T-Mobile agreed to revise its ad policies to improve clarity.

Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at [email protected]. You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it’s your choice.