Just over 240,000 of the stated violations were committed by signing up customers who were completely oblivious. For the remaining 205,000 violations, Comcast is accused of either failing to mention the cost or falsely representing it.

The pure damages will only account for a fraction of the $85 million Comcast is estimated to have earned through the practice, something which the company was keen to point out. In a statement to Gizmodo, a spokesperson said Comcast was "pleased" that the state only recouped less than 5 percent of what it originally wanted. Any problems with consent have been "fully addressed" by the firm since then, the representative added.

However, that appears to be an attempt to downplay the ultimate cost. Comcast's restitution will include refunds for every customer, plus 12 percent interest. It could wind up paying much, much more by the time Washington is satisfied.