Wandsworth Council data leak

The media has reported that there has been a Wandsworth Council data leak that may have affected tens of thousands of people, arising from an error on a mass email.

Anyone who has been affected could be entitled to claim compensation now on a No Win, No Fee basis. Depending on how you may have been affected, you could be eligible for our legal representation.

You can contact our leading team of data experts and speak to us for free, no-obligation advice here now.

About the Wandsworth Council data leak

According to media reports from SW Londoner, some 43,000 people may have been affected by the Wandsworth Council data leak.

It appears that there was an error with the data merge used for a mass email campaign to residents to remind them about names, addresses and registered voting instructions. Due to this, it appears that thousands of people received the wrong information.

After the email had been sent, a further email was sent out confirming the error. Many people affected are understood to have taken to social media to complain, and the trust in the council’s ability to process and protect personal information has been called into question. The Wandsworth Council data leak was also announced on the social media account for the respective local authority, and a spokesperson reportedly said:

“Following discussions with the ICO they have initially indicated this is not a reportable incident and we will continue to work with them regarding this matter.”

Apologies have been issued but, as we often say in these kinds of cases, the damage has already been done…

Yet another email data leak

Unfortunately, the Wandsworth Council data leak is one in a long line of privacy breaches to have taken place by email that affects a local authority. In many cases, it is the sending out of mass emails where all the recipients’ details are exposed, but this is a different kind of incident. The impact, however, can be just as severe for those who have been affected.

Councils and the agencies that work on behalf of our local authorities store and process a great deal of very personal information about us. As such, we expect the highest of standards when it comes to protecting our information and ensuring that it is not misused. When our trust in an organisation is shattered by such an incident, the impact can be devastating.

Council data breach compensation claims

Council data breach compensation claims are some of the most common incidents that we represent people for. Unfortunately, they happen quite a lot, and victims can end up suffering significantly as a result of such an incident.

The GDPR can entitle the victim of a data breach to claim compensation for any distress that has been suffered due to the loss of control of personal information. You do not have to have suffered any actual financial losses or paid anything out to claim, so you can simply pursue damages for any distress that has been caused.

Due to the wealth and nature of some of the information that local councils process, the impact can be significant when particularly personal and sensitive information is misused or exposed. Data breach compensation amounts and pay-outs can be based on the extent and severity of any suffering, and we can measure this as part of a legal case for you.

Speak to our team here now for free, no-obligation advice.

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