Just a Theory

Trans rights are human rights

Posts about Anthem

Anthem Breach Harms Consumers

Paul Roberts in Digital Guardian:

Whether or not harm has occurred to plaintiffs is critical for courts to decide whether the plaintiff has a right – or “standing” – to sue in the first place. But proving that data exposed in a breach has actually been used for fraud is notoriously difficult.

In her decision in the Anthem case, [U.S. District Judge Lucy] Koh reasoned that the theft of personal identification information is harm to consumers in itself, regardless of whether any subsequent misuse of it can be proven. Allegations of a “concrete and imminent threat of future harm" are enough to establish an injury and standing in the early stages of a breach suit, she said.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. Personal information is just that: personal. Organizations that collect and store personal information must take every step they can to protect it. Failure to do so harms their users, exposing them to increased risk of identity theft, fraud, surveillance, and abuse. It’s reasonable to expect that firms not be insulated from litigation for failing to protect user data.