Los Angeles is going after Uber over a data breach that exposed the information of more than a half-million riders and drivers. City Attorney Mike Feuer said the suit was filed because the ride-hailing company hid the breach and paid off the hackers.
“We allege that Uber violated California law & public trust when it hid this massive data breach," Feuer said at a press conference announcing the suit Monday morning.
Uber revealed in a statement last month that hackers had penetrated their database in 2016, and the company had paid off the hackers to delete their data. More than 600,000 drivers and riders were affected by the breach.
Feuer says Uber and other companies should protect their consumer's data, and immediately come clean if they've been compromised.
Hackers were able to gain access to information on Uber's drivers including the drivers' names and license numbers. Those who drive for Uber in the U.S. can find out more information on Uber's website here.
The complaint alleges that Uber violated the California Unfair Competition Law which says companies must disclose when personal info is stolen. Uber says they're taking steps to address why users and drivers were not notified last year when the breach occurred.