Category: GDPR
Compensation from being complacent about data protection
It can be argued that the Virgin Media data leak that was discovered in early 2020 is an example of how being complacent about data protection can cause significant problems.
In this event, it was discovered by a third-party security researcher that a database containing the details of some 900,000 people was accessible online. Most of the people whose information was on the database were customers, but there were also some others in there as well. It was found that the database had been accessible for a period of 10 months between April 2019 and February 2020. And, during that time, at least one unknown third party is understood to have accessed the compromised database.
What this meant is that a staggering 900,000 people lost control over their personal information. As a result of this event, thousands of people have signed up to join our action for compensation, and you may still be eligible to start your case here now.
When data protection practices fail – real people suffer
The need for any organisation to have really good data protection practices in place is absolutely essential, and Virgin Media is no different in this regard at all.
However, back in early 2020, it was revealed that they had failed to secure a database that was understood to be in use for marketing purposes. This database contained the details of some 900,000 people, most of whom were customers. It was accessed at least once during the period it was left unsecure from April 2019 by an unknown person, and the issue was only discovered by a third-party security researcher.
In response to the data leak, leading consumer action and data breach claims experts Your Lawyers launched a group legal case for justice. If you are one of the people told that your private information was exposed in this leak, you can start your legal claim easily here now.
Your Lawyers Virgin Media data leak compensation action
The Your Lawyers Virgin Media data leak compensation action is still open for anyone affected by the privacy exposure revealed in 2020 to sign up and join here now.
Eligible clients are still in time to join the action now and benefit from our No Win, No Fee legal representation. We are now almost two years on from when the data breach first hit the headlines, and we continue to fight for justice for the thousands of victims of the breach that we represent.
We have been in the media a lot about data actions in general, as well as in relation to this case in particular. If you have yet to join the action, we recommend that you sign up as soon as you can to avoid missing out.
Virgin Media data breach class actions
Any form of Virgin Media data breach class actions could be a style of Group Litigation Order (GLO) here in England and Wales, which is what we refer to them as.
Data breach class actions is typically the Americanised sort of term for large group actions, but it is widely used here in the UK as well sometimes, especially in the media. They mean the same thing really, as they are about a collective legal action where many people can come together to claim as part of one set of court proceedings. This is common in cases like this where there is a single event that has affected many thousands of people.
Read on for more information about how data breach class actions can work, and what may happen with the Virgin Media case.
First GDPR fine – data breaches and financial penalties
The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) was introduced in the UK in 2018 as a means of updating existing data protection law. This important piece of legislation means that all organisations and individuals that store and process the personal data of others are obliged to comply with designated principles. Where they fail to do so, they could be found responsible for a data protection breach. In such cases, a data controller can face its first GDPR fine.
The ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) is responsible for the enforcement of data protection law in the UK and has the power to impose financial penalties on companies that have failed to keep personal information secure. This power has been used in a number of high-profile data breach cases in the past few years, in which some data controllers have faced GDPR fines in the millions of pounds mark.
Alongside action by regulators, we believe it is important that victims are fairly compensated for the data breaches that they have been involved in. Those affected by the Virgin Media data breach, which involved the exposure of around 900,000 people’s personal information, can be eligible to join our group action against the company to fight for the compensation we say that they deserve.
Cyber theft compensation claims
When hackers seek to gain access to a business or another organisation’s systems, it is often for the purpose of data theft. With such threats looming over them, it is essential that data controllers do their best to protect the personal information that is in their charge, or they risk compromising the security of customers and employees. In such cases, victims could be eligible to make cyber theft compensation claims.
In the Virgin Media data breach, a cybersecurity failing enabled anyone – which could have included hackers – to access a huge company database, potentially allowing them to steal the information of the 900,000 victims whose data it held. In our eyes, the breach was caused by the negligence of Virgin Media itself, which is why we are bringing a group action against the company. An unknown third party did access the database, and it remains unknown as to who they are or what their intentions are.
In accordance with the GDPR, all companies are required to protect the information that they hold and process in accordance with the legal principles. This includes implementing necessary technical measures and organisational policies. Where they fail to do so, they can be held liable via data breach compensation claims.
Big GDPR fines and data breach compensation claims
In recent years, the development of data protection law has allowed for greater penalties to be issued by regulators. In 2018, the GDPR was introduced in the UK as part of a rollout across the EU and, since then, some organisations have been levied with big GDPR fines, sometimes even reaching the millions or tens of millions of pounds.
In the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the official data protection regulator, has issued some fines using the GDPR, imposing serious punishments for the data controllers involved. As important as this enforcement action is, it does not automatically allow the victims of data breaches to receive the compensation they deserve.
At Your Lawyers, we are specialists in data breach claims and group actions, and we have been involved in some of the biggest data protection lawsuits of recent years. In these group actions, we fight to win compensation for our clients, who have unjustly had their privacy rights breached. If you were affected by the Virgin Media data breach, you may be able to claim in our group action today.
How to claim GDPR compensation for the Virgin Media leak
If you need to know how to claim GDPR compensation as a victim of the Virgin Media data leak that was revealed in early 2020, we can help.
We have made the process for initiating your claim for compensation quick and easy with this dedicated site here where you can sign up to join the action here now. In this article, we will also briefly go into what you could claim for and give you a little insight into how it works as well.
Data protection laws breached in the Virgin Media case
The Virgin Media data leak that was revealed in early 2020 stemmed from what we consider to be clear breaches of important data protection laws, and justice must be achieved.
This is why we are able to represent victims of the data breach for a compensation claim on a No Win, No Fee basis. Because we are confident that we can succeed with the legal action that we have launched, we are able to work for our clients on the basis that we can waive our legal fees if the claim doesn’t succeed, subject to the terms and conditions in place (which we have to point out!)
Getting started is easy. All you need to do is start your claim for compensation here now if you have been affected, and you can join our group action without delay.
Reflecting on Cybersecurity month 2021
It is important to reflect on Cybersecurity month 2021, as we do each year, and look at how leaks like the Virgin Media incident could – and should – have been avoided in the first place.
This incident was an entirely avoidable breach, and it has had a huge impact on the thousands of people that we are representing for data breach compensation claims on a No Win, No Fee basis.
If you have yet to start your case and join the action, you can do so here now.
