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YouTube accused of illegally collecting children’s data

YouTube has been accused of illegally collecting children’s data by Consumer Rights groups who have filed a legal complaint against them.

The Google-owned video and music platform is supposed to be for persons aged 13 and older, yet studies indicate that it’s most popular with children aged between 8 and 12.

According to the concerns raised and the complaints filed, YouTube is illegally collecting the data without parental consent, and they know that they’re doing it; raising fear that they’re in breach of data protection legislation.
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Uber data breach was a lesson in how NOT to handle a cyberattack

The Uber data breach was a clear lesson in how NOT to handle a cyberattack. When the hackers contacted Uber by email, back in November 2016, they demanded a six-figure sum in order to destroy the wealth of data they’d stolen so news of the breach would quietly fade away once the bribe had been paid.

As opposed to dealing with the data breach in the appropriate way, Uber decided to pay-off the hackers and cover the breach up. A payment of $100,000 was reportedly made to the two hackers, and employees responsible for the security issue passed the whole thing off as a “bug bounty” program, which is where hackers are offered money to try and find weaknesses.

In reality, they were simply hacked, and Uber have not only paid the heavy price of the bribe, but also the cost of a handling the crisis thereafter.
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Kensington and Chelsea council fined £120,000 for indeliberate data breach

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council has been fined £120,000 for an indeliberate data breach because the personal details of empty property owners in their constituency was published, contrary to data protection laws.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has called it a “serious contravention” which has led to the huge fine being issued of £120,000.

According to the ICO reports, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request had been made in relation to the Grenfell Tower incident as part of research into social inequality, and it was this request that led to the accidental disclosure.
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A data breach at the University of Surrey Sports Park hits 90,000 staff and students

A data breach at the University of Surrey Sports Park has hit 90,000 people after a password was published online by a software supplier in what is being classed as an “employee error”.

The University has reportedly contacted members, staff and students to inform them of the data security issue, where details like birth dates, bank details, health information and contact particulars was at risk of exposure due to the publication of the password. A “sincere apology” has been issued, and victims of the breach are being asked to remain vigilant.
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Victims of Equifax data breach receiving letters containing incorrect personal data

A number of victims of the Equifax data breach have been receiving letters containing incorrect personal data, according to media reports; further exacerbating the massive data breach that has affected some 700,000 people in the UK alone.

According to Equifax, determining the best addresses for some victims had been “complex” and had resulted in letters being sent out that are thoughts to have contained erroneous information.

As time has passed, the Equifax data breach seems to have worsened and worsened, and this is yet another problem adding to the pile.

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Huge data breach for casual workers at Manchester United Football Club

We have been approached by a number of victims of a huge data breach for casual workers at Manchester United Football Club, and we have taken claims on with our No Win, No Fee offer available.

From the accounts of the clients who have been accepted for our representation, its believed that 167 casual workers at Manchester United received an email which attached all 167 employees’ wage slips instead of just their own.

This means that the personal details of an estimated 167 individuals has been leaked.
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Serious risk facing Equifax breach victims from scammers and fraudsters!

There is a wealth of information already out there in the public domain about most people. From loads of information accessible by anyone on social media platforms, to the data we share with organisations who may then be passing it around (whether we’re aware or not), there is so much out there.

So, when we have a serious data protection breach like the Equifax hack, the risk for victims is massive. It’s not hard for scammers and fraudsters to be able to find more information online about the Equifax breach victims, meaning the risks are very hard to manage.
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Octoly data leak exposes private information of 12,000 celebrities and influencers

Social media and data protection is a hot topic right now with the Facebook & Cambridge Analytica issue still fresh in our minds.

But this isn’t the only large-scale social media breach of late.

The private data of more than 12,000 prominent “social media influencers”, like celebrities, has reportedly been exposed by a marketing firm who pair stars with top brands for things like product endorsements and reviews.
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Is council data protection and cybersecurity quality a postcode lottery?

Experts have looked in to the differences between councils and local authority services and compared the quality of the cybersecurity and their data protection procedures and protocols. One worrying trend is the fact that there are some huge differences between different councils when it comes to practically all aspects of data security.

This issue means that, in reality, the quality of data protection and cybersecurity can be somewhat of a postcode lottery. There is no single or uniform approach, which is a really worrying aspect.
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Equifax data breach compensation success

It’s pleasing to see that some consumers have already had their cases heard and have been able to receive successful verdicts against the credit-referencing agency at the heart of last year’s huge data protection scandal.

Although Equifax reportedly turned up to court with some very expensive lawyers, a group of claimants managed to convince a judge that they had a case to answer for. This has all happened in America, where cases can often get to a trial much faster than they can here in the UK, but the news can be seen as potentially good news here as well.
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