Circle K Faces Lawsuit After Data Breach Exposes Employee Information

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit claims Circle K failed to protect employee data, leading to a data breach that exposed sensitive personal information.

Consumers Affected: Circle K employees whose personal information was compromised in the data breach.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

A former Circle K employee is taking legal action against the convenience store chain, claiming the company failed to protect sensitive personal data. The lawsuit alleges that a cyberattack in May 2024 exposed names, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license details of current and former employees.

Brittany Canup, the plaintiff, argues that Circle K did not have the proper security measures in place and waited too long to notify those affected. She is seeking compensation for impacted workers and wants the company to improve its data protection practices.

Sensitive Employee Data Was Exposed

Hackers allegedly gained access to Circle K’s internal systems on May 20, 2024. The breach reportedly compromised personal records of employees across the company. Canup, along with others affected, did not receive notification from Circle K until January 13, 2025—nearly eight months after the attack.

The lawsuit claims this delay put employees at greater risk of fraud and identity theft. By the time notifications were sent, personal information had already been exposed.

Companies that handle personal records are expected to keep them secure, but Canup claims Circle K fell short. The complaint states that the company did not properly encrypt sensitive data or monitor its systems for threats. It also argues that the business lacked strong network protections and employee training to prevent or detect cyberattacks.

Had Circle K taken these steps, Canup believes the breach might have been avoided—or at least detected sooner. Instead, the lawsuit claims the company allowed personal details to be accessed and failed to act quickly to protect those affected.

Circle K Accused of Failing to Protect Employee Data and Delaying Notification

When personal information is exposed, the risk doesn’t go away once a company notifies those affected. Canup and other employees must now keep a close eye on their financial accounts, credit reports, and personal records for signs of fraud.

Many victims of data breaches spend months, or even years, dealing with the fallout. Some sign up for credit monitoring services, while others have to replace official documents, update passwords, and take additional steps to protect their identity. The lawsuit claims these efforts come with both financial and emotional costs.

“Defendant failed to implement adequate and reasonable cybersecurity procedures and protocols necessary to protect individuals’ personal identifiable information,” the complaint states.

Other Companies Face Lawsuits Over Data Breaches

Circle K is not the only company dealing with legal trouble related to data breaches.

In October, Disney was hit with a lawsuit after hackers allegedly accessed and leaked employee records. Reports claim that internal spreadsheets, PDFs, and even workplace chat messages were exposed, putting workers at risk of fraud. The complaint argues that Disney failed to take necessary precautions to secure its systems.

In the Circle K data breach class action lawsuit, Canup is asking the court to approve a class that would include all individuals whose personal records were compromised in the breach and who received a notice letter from Circle K in January 2025.

She is seeking financial compensation for affected employees, reimbursement for fraud prevention expenses, and an order requiring Circle K to improve its security measures. The case also calls for changes in how the company stores and protects sensitive data to prevent future incidents.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Brittany Canup v. Gas Express LLC
• Case Number: 1:25-cv-00396
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• J. Cameron Tribble (Barnes Law Group LLC)
• Jeff Ostrow (Kopelowitz Ostrow P.A.)

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