Penalty Amount
$18,500,000
Consumers Affected
41,000,000
Target Corp. agreed to pay $18.5 million to resolve a multi-state investigation into the November 2013 data breach that compromised payment card information of over 41 million shoppers. The settlement requires Target to implement comprehensive cybersecurity reforms, including a dedicated Information Security Program, encryption, network segmentation, and third-party assessments.
Target must pay $18.5 million, establish an Information Security Program led by a dedicated officer, encrypt consumer payment card data, segment its cardholder data environment, ensure vendor compliance with security standards, adopt chip-and-PIN technology, implement password rotation and two-factor authentication, and undergo a third-party Information Security Assessment with reports available to states.
In-house legal teams should prioritize reviewing vendor agreements for clauses governing third-party security controls, credential management, and audit rights, as the breach stemmed from compromised vendor credentials. Customer agreements must be examined for data security warranties, breach notification timelines, and limitations of liability related to payment card information. Key clauses to scrutinize include data security requirements, vendor oversight provisions, encryption standards, network segmentation obligations, and incident response plans. Revisions may be necessary to mandate a dedicated Information Security Program with C-suite accountability, require regular third-party security assessments, enforce encryption and segmentation of stored data, and establish mandatory board-level reporting on cybersecurity risks.
Entity
Target Corp.
Also known as: Target
Industry
Retail"Target Corp."
"Target’s $18.5 million settlement payout"
"The November 2013 cyber-intrusion was carried out by attackers using credentials stolen from a third-party Target vendor. The States’ investigation found that the stolen credentials were used to exploit numerous security vulnerabilities within Target’s data storage network, allowing the attackers to access a customer data base and install malware on Target’s system that captured payment card information."
A multistate coalition co-led by New Jersey won a federal court order rejecting the Trump Administration’s decision not to request funding for the CFPB. The order struck down that decision and directed the Administration to follow the law and fund the agency; no monetary penalty or privacy violation is described.
New Jersey’s Attorney General and Division of Consumer Affairs alerted the public that three synthetic kratom-related compounds became illegal to possess or sell in the state under a temporary federal scheduling order. The release describes a controlled-substance alert, not a privacy enforcement action, and identifies no company, privacy violation, or monetary penalty.
$2.3M
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings agreed to pay $2,287,455 to participating states and strengthen its security and vendor-management practices following an investigation into the 2019 breach at its debt-collection vendor, AMCA. The breach potentially exposed information of more than 27.5 million people nationwide, including sensitive information belonging to approximately 10.2 million LabCorp patients.
$694.0M
New Jersey's Attorney General and Division of Consumer Affairs, along with 41 Attorneys General, reached a $694 million settlement with subprime auto lender Credit Acceptance Corporation over allegations it originated unaffordable loans its own systems predicted borrowers could not repay, employed aggressive debt-collection tactics, and failed to prevent deceptive vehicle-service contract and GAP product 'packing' by dealers. The multistate settlement stepped in after the CFPB permanently dropped its 2023 enforcement action against CAC in 2025. CAC will provide $60 million in cash restitution, $634 million in debt relief, an additional $15 million to the states, and implement injunctive lending reforms including loan off ramps, pre-loan disclosures, add-on packing safeguards, and a seven-year vehicle price cap. Note: this is a consumer-protection lending enforcement action, not a privacy matter; violation categories are best-fit mappings from the available taxonomy.
$650K
The New Jersey Attorney General and Division of Consumer Affairs announced that Match Group, Inc. will pay $650,000 and change its business practices to settle allegations that it misrepresented or failed to disclose its criminal background screening policies and practices to New Jersey users, violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and the Internet Dating Safety Act. Under a Consent Order, Match must accurately represent its screening policies, notify existing New Jersey members of updated disclosures within 150 days, and post clear and conspicuous disclosures and safety notifications about the limitations of criminal background screenings.
$96.5M
New Jersey and a coalition of states and territories obtained preliminary approval for a plan to distribute funds from settlements with generic drug manufacturers accused of conspiring to raise drug prices. The settlements total approximately $96.5 million, and eligible consumers may submit claims for compensation.