Comcast to Pay $33 Million to Resolve Privacy Violations

Comcast Corp. has agreed to pay $33 million and overhaul its operations to resolve allegations that it illegally posted online personal information of customers who had paid for unlisted service.

Under an agreement filed Thursday in Alameda Superior Court, California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris said, the cable giant is to pay $22 million in civil penalties and related costs and refund about $8 million to the affected customers. Comcast has also agreed to improve the process to handle customer complaints and strengthen restrictions on vendors' use of customers' personal information.

The authorities said Comcast posted online the names, phone numbers and addresses of an estimated 75,000 customers who had paid for unlisted so-called voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP telephone service.

Payments to current customers will be processed as a bill credit; payments to past customers will be mailed to their last known address, Ms. Harris said in a statement.

Comcast, based in Philadelphia, couldn't be reached for comment Thursday after regular business hours.

Write to Maria Armental at [e-mail]

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 17, 2015 20:55 ET (00:55 GMT)

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