Upper Peninsula Power Company Sued Over 2022 Data Breach

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action claims Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) is responsible for a June 2022 data breach because it failed to employ “even the most elementary precautions” to safeguard customers’ private information.

According to the 18-page lawsuit, hackers infiltrated the Michigan-based utility company’s networks on June 23 of this year due to its failure to implement reasonable cybersecurity procedures. The case alleges that customers’ names and Social Security numbers are now in the hands of unknown third parties, despite UPPCO’s privacy policy promise to “protect all information that you provide us.”

Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.

The complaint says UPPCO waited to notify affected individuals of the incident until November 23, but it did not explain why it failed to discover or disclose the data breach for over five months. The case argues that the company’s delayed notification and lack of details “robbed” consumers of the opportunity to proactively mitigate the risk of identity theft and fraud, a significant threat they now face.

The company’s investigation of the breach found that customers’ personal information “may have been accessed,” the filing shares. However, UPPCO also makes the unfounded claim that “there is no evidence that your information has been viewed, disclosed, or misused,” the suit says. These contradictory statements are UPPCO’s attempt to “tacitly admit” that its negligence has harmed consumers, the complaint contends.

Ultimately, the case argues, UPPCO had an obligation to maintain reasonable data privacy measures that adequately protect consumers from malicious actors.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States whose personal information was compromised in the Upper Peninsula Power Company data breach.

Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.