The city of Chicago has filed a lawsuit against the credit reporting company Equifax over a data breach that exposed personal information of about 143 million people.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the company should be held accountable for the breach and a delay in notifying consumers. The lawsuit seeks restitution for those affected, including more than 5 million people in Illinois.
Equifax disclosed this month that hackers exploited a software flaw that the company didn't fix to heist Social Security numbers, birthdates and other personal data that provide the keys to identify theft.
An Equifax spokeswoman says the credit reporting company cannot comment on pending litigation, but that it is focused on helping consumers "navigate this situation."
Numerous lawsuits already have been filed over the breach, including by San Francisco and Massachusetts.
