Following our June article discussing the investigation of the potential data breach of over 500 million Ticketmaster customers, the ticket distribution company is now facing a multi-million dollar class action claim in the US for negligent behaviour before the breach (along with unjust enrichment and breach of implied contract).
The claim has been filed against Ticketmaster (and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment), and seeks damages of at least $5 million for affected users, plus legal fees and costs.
What does the claim allege?
It alleges that Ticketmaster failed to implement reasonable and adequate security measures to protect its users’ information, and that Ticketmaster was aware of the significant risk of a cyberattack. Ticketmaster’s website and privacy policies claimed sufficient security measures were in place when data was shared with third parties. However, the claimants say that Ticketmaster did not ensure that its third-party cloud database, Snowflake, was enforcing these safeguards – i.e. it “could and should” have implemented measures that would have stopped the breach.
In addition, the claimants say that Ticketmaster failed to alert users that their data had been compromised in a timely manner. They claim that the company was aware of the breach from as early as April 2024 but failed to produce a notification of that breach not taking place until July 2024.
How does this affect me?
Data security incidents are increasingly common. If you collect and store large quantities of data for your operations, then you may be viewed as a target and exposed to risk. Data breaches can significantly affect your organisation and result in client mistrust, reputational damage, ICO fines and can lead to litigation.
Businesses must implement appropriate security measures to safeguard their data and regularly conduct cyber security risk assessments and testing.
If your organisation suffers a data breach, it is essential to act quickly to minimise damage. Our specialist data protection team can help.
How can we help?
For more information or advice on the impact of a data breach, please get in touch with Carrie Jones in our Commercial Disputes team who will be able to support you.
