VTech Data Breach Lawsuits
Last Updated on June 26, 2017
Important Information
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are no longer investigating this matter. The information here is for reference only. A list of open investigations and lawsuits can be viewed here.
At A Glance
- This Alert Affects
- Parents whose accounts were hacked during the November 2015 VTech data breach.
- What's Going On?
- VTech has been sued following reports that 5 million parents' accounts were hacked, exposing the information of nearly 7 million children.
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org want to speak to anyone who was affected by the VTech data breach. Reports have surfaced that the information of millions of parents and children were stolen when a portal used to download content to the toymaker’s learning tablets was hacked. A handful of lawsuits have already been filed alleging the company failed to properly safeguard its customers’ personal information.
VTech Data Breach: What Happened?
In November 2015, VTech, the world’s leading manufacturer of children’s electronic learning products, discovered that its databases had been hacked. The personal information of nearly 5 million parents, as well as 7 million children’s profiles, were believed to have been exposed in the data breach. It has been reported that the following information was compromised:
Parents:
- Names and e-mail address
- Passwords and secret questions to retrieve passwords in case they are forgotten
- Download history
- IP addresses
Children:
- Names
- Birthdates
- Genders
Reports also suggest that children’s images, audio recordings and chat logs may have been affected, though VTech says it cannot confirm such reports until its investigation is complete.
VTech Lawsuits: Why Is The Company Getting Sued?
The lawsuits against VTech allege that the company failed to secure and safeguard its customers’ personal information and failed to properly inform people that their information was hacked by an unauthorized individual. In fact, the company has admitted that its databases “were not as secure as they should have been.”
The lawsuits claim the company broke state and federal data breach statutes, breached the contracts it held with its customers, was negligent in protecting its customers’ information and was “overpaid” by customers’ whose information was exposed.
The lawsuits are seeking damages on behalf of anyone who purchased a VTech product that uses the Kid Connect or Learning Lodge service and registered with such services through November 29, 2014.
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