$2M Settlement Over Minnesota Driver Data Snooping

An insurance trust representing Minnesota counties has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a lawsuit over driver’s license data snooping.

The proposed settlement was presented on Oct. 3 in federal court.

The case involved a child support officer in Rock County, Janet Patten, who allegedly made more than 4,000 photo queries of the Driver and Vehicle Services database in 2010 and 2011.

Patten was fired and several law firms sued on behalf of about 3,000 people who received data breach letters. An investigation did not turn up any criminal intent.

Plaintiffs are attempting to certify the case as a class action, which would cover anyone who Patten illegitimately looked up during the specified time period.

The Star Tribune reports the settlement still must be approved by a federal judge.