City of Oakland Data Breach Settlement

Individuals whose personal information was stored, possessed, or controlled by the city of Oakland and who received a data breach notice in March 2023.

Receipts, account statements, credit monitoring bills, or documentation showing time spent addressing fraud or identity protection.

The city of Oakland has agreed to resolve a class action lawsuit tied to a February 2023 data breach that allegedly compromised a broad array of personal information belonging to city employees, residents, and others. The breach, which was publicly acknowledged the following month, reportedly exposed Social Security numbers, driver’s license details, medical information, and internal city records.

The lawsuit accuses Oakland of failing to implement appropriate cybersecurity protocols that could have prevented unauthorized access to its systems. The plaintiffs argue the city had a duty to safeguard this data, particularly given its position as a large metropolitan municipality handling sensitive records.

Oakland has not admitted any wrongdoing but has agreed to settle the case to avoid prolonged litigation.

Under the Terms of the Settlement

Class members may be eligible to receive financial compensation based on the type and extent of losses they experienced as a result of the breach:

• Up to $350 for ordinary losses, including:

  • Out-of-pocket expenses for fraud prevention or identity protection.

  • Charges for freezing or monitoring credit.

  • Up to three hours of lost time, calculated at $25 per hour.

• Up to $10,000 for extraordinary losses, such as:

  • Verified monetary losses stemming from fraud or identity theft.

  • Documented misuse of compromised data.

Additionally, all class members are eligible for three years of credit monitoring from all three major credit bureaus.

A separate benefit is available to Oakland police officers who received a written notice about the breach. These class members may receive a flat $175 cash payment.