Dive Brief:
- A Circle K franchisee that experienced a data breach in 2024 has agreed to a class action settlement to resolve a lawsuit resulting from the attack, according to documents filed with the State Court of Fulton County.
- Gas Express LLC, which operates close to 200 Circle K locations, was sued early last year by a former worker for allegedly failing to implement adequate data security to protect its employees’ information in the attack. The court granted a preliminary approval last month, and a final approval hearing will occur on Sept. 18.
- Per the settlement agreement, impacted employees can receive up to $2,000 for out-of-pocket losses incurred between May 20, 2024 and Sept. 3, 2026 due to the data breach.
Dive Insight:
Atlanta-based Gas Express informed the attorney general in Massachusetts in January 2025 that some names, social security numbers and driver’s license numbers in its system were compromised in the data breach. About three weeks later, Gas Express was sued in Georgia for failing to protect its employees during the breach, as well as for failing to notify impacted employees of the breach when it happened.
According to the latest fillings, the settlement covers all living U.S. residents who were sent notice from Gas Express LLC stating that their private information was impacted in the breach. However, the exact number of people impacted remains unclear.
Impacted individuals who file a valid, timely claim form can receive up to $2,000 for out-of-pocket losses incurred due to the data breach. A court-approved website for the Circle settlement has been made for impacted individuals to apply to receive claims.
Representatives from Alimentation Couche-Tard, Circle K’s parent company, did not respond by press time to comment on the settlement agreement.
