Two former BuzzFeed employees sue over data breach

By Top Class Actions | October 2, 2026

Category: Data Breach

(Photo Credit: Koshiro K/Shutterstock)

BuzzFeed class action lawsuit overview:

Who: Two former BuzzFeed employees filed separate class action lawsuits against BuzzFeed Media Enterprises Inc.
Why: The plaintiffs claim BuzzFeed negligently failed to protect Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and other sensitive information in a data breach.
Where: The BuzzFeed class action lawsuits were filed in New York federal court.

Two new class action lawsuits accuse BuzzFeed of failing to safeguard the sensitive personal information of thousands of people, including company employees.

The plaintiffs, both former BuzzFeed employees, say they provided their private information to the company for their jobs and claim the company did not use reasonable security measures to protect it.

According to the lawsuits, BuzzFeed received a report on Aug. 19, 2026, that a misconfiguration in two Google Groups it controlled allowed unauthorized viewing of sensitive data. The company began sending notice letters on or around Sept. 14.

The exposed information includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, driver’s license or passport numbers, phone numbers, email addresses and physical addresses.

The plaintiffs argue BuzzFeed stored the information without encryption, left it internet-accessible and failed to follow Federal Trade Commission guidelines and industry security standards.

“[BuzzFeed] had the resources necessary to prevent the data breach but neglected to adequately invest in security measures despite its obligation to protect such information,” the BuzzFeed class action lawsuits say.

The plaintiffs also claim BuzzFeed’s notice failed to explain how or when the breach occurred. They argue its offer of two years of free credit monitoring is inadequate because victims may face identity theft risks for life.

Both plaintiffs want to represent a nationwide class of all persons in the United States whose private information was impacted by the data breach, including all who received BuzzFeed’s notice, with one plaintiff proposing a California subclass of affected California residents.

BuzzFeed data breach could fuel identity fraud, class actions claim

The plaintiffs allege the exposed information is especially valuable to criminals because Social Security numbers are difficult to change. They argue cybercriminals can use the stolen data to open fraudulent credit card accounts in victims’ names and obtain their tax returns.

The BuzzFeed class action lawsuits also warn that criminals often combine breached data with information from other sources to build complete profiles, known as “fullz” packages. These packages can be sold repeatedly to scam telemarketers. According to the lawsuits, class members have suffered or will suffer financial losses, lower credit scores and lost work time.

Both plaintiffs argue they have spent time and money monitoring their accounts and credit reports since the BuzzFeed data breach. They also allege, upon information and belief, that their information is on the dark web.

The data breach lawsuits both accuse BuzzFeed of negligence, negligence per se, breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment, with additional claims under California’s unfair competition and consumer privacy laws.

Both plaintiffs demand a jury trial and seek damages, restitution and declaratory relief for themselves and all class members.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed against Madison Square Garden Sports claims the company failed to secure the personal information of millions of customers in a cyberattack that also exposed facial biometric data, threat assessment ratings and detailed profiles of guests.

Were you affected by this BuzzFeed data breach? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Leanna A. Loginov of Shamis & Gentile P.A. and Mark Svensson of Milberg PLLC.

The BuzzFeed class action lawsuits are Case No. 1:26-cv-08153 and Case No. 1:26-cv-08185, both in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.