Careless approach to data protection – rights for victims

Despite the fact that there is extensive legislation designed to prevent data breaches, many organisations continue to have a careless approach to data protection.

In this digital age, in which consumers regularly disclose private data to third party companies online, it is unacceptable that many are neglecting their duty to protect this information.

We are always on the lookout for data leaks which show a carelessness on the part of the organisation, as this may mean that victims may be entitled to claim compensation for the exposure of their personal information. Unfortunately, many companies fail to realise that their data protection duties are equal to their responsibilities to deliver on the goods and services paid for by their customers. We believe that it is important to raise awareness of this widespread issue, and to make sure any victims can achieve justice for the effects of data breaches.

Companies with a careless approach to data protection

The introduction of the GDPR in 2018 cemented the legal regulations governing data handling, processing, and storage in the UK, making it unacceptable for companies to have a careless approach to data protection. In fact, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the government regulator responsible for applying the GDPR, issued one of their early GDPR fines on the basis of what appeared to be a case of carelessness. Doorstep Dispensaree Ltd, a medical product distributor, was issued with a £275,000 fine after it was found that they were storing 500,000 personal data documents in insecure outdoor containers.

We are able to take on claims for anyone affected by this severe data breach – contact us here if you need to.

In addition, we are taking on claimants for our group action against Virgin Media, which we launched following news of their exposure of personal data belonging to 900,000 consumers. The data breach was only publicised in March 2020, but it revealed a long-term careless approach to data protection, as the leak was caused by the failure to secure a marketing database for a lengthy ten-month period. It is incredibly worrying that such an insecurity could go unnoticed for this long, which seems to be evidence of company-wide data protection failings and not just a one-off employee error.

Claiming for the effects of a data breach

Fortunately, the GDPR is there to make sure that companies cannot get away with blaming data breaches on computer system deficiencies or specific employees. As data controllers, companies are required to monitor data handling and enforce data protection measures, so they can be held liable for neglecting this duty in compensation claims.

A data breach legal case can allow victims to claim for the distress suffered as a result of a data breach, as well as any financial losses or expenses that may have been provoked. For example, victims often suffer anxiety or stress when their information is exposed, or they may encounter fraud and scam attempts from cybercriminals. These can be valid reasons for claiming.

Make your compensation claim

To receive more advice about data breaches you can claim for, simply contact us today to discuss your potential claim with a member of our team. Your Lawyers – The Data Leak Lawyers – are specialists in data protection, having represented victims for data breach claims since 2014. We are currently part of the Steering Committee leading the first GDPR Group Litigation Order against British Airways for their 2018 data breaches.

To find out more about making a claim, contact us for free, no-obligation advice about the compensation you may be able to recover.

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