Tag: GDPR
Compensation when information is shared without consent
Victims could be eligible to claim data breach compensation when information is shared without consent, and this can include the Virgin Media data leak.
In the Virgin Media data breach, some 900,000 people – mainly customers – had their personal details exposed. A marketing database had been left unsecured and was accessible online for a period of 10 months between April 2019 and February 2020. The exposed information was discovered by a third-party security researcher, and it was confirmed that at least one unknown third-party had also accessed the data during the breach period.
We are representing thousands of victims claiming compensation in the Virgin Media data breach group action. If you have yet to join the case, you can do so 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.
Claim data leak distress compensation – Virgin Media leak
You could be eligible to claim data leak distress compensation if you are one of the 900,000 people affected by the Virgin Media data breach that was revealed in 2020.
As long as you have received notification that you have been affected by the data leak, we should be able to represent you for a case on a No Win, No Fee basis. All you need to do is complete the forms here now and you can get started with your claim right away.
A victim of data theft or loss of control can claim compensation
Did you know that a victim of data theft or loss of control of personal information could be eligible to claim compensation, and this can apply to those who were affected by the Virgin Media data leak discovered in 2020?
If you did not previously know, you do now. An added bonus is that victims can also be entitled to pursue their claim on an entirely No Win, No Fee basis as well. Whilst we cannot speak for other firms, this is the way that we can operate, and eligible victims of the Virgin Media incident can benefit from our No Win, No Fee legal representation.
Here is a little insight into when you could be eligible to claim as a victim of data theft or loss, and how this can tie in with the Virgin Media data breach.
Claim for the information data breach that affected Virgin Media
You could be entitled to pursue an information data breach compensation claim if you are one of the 900,000 victims affected by the Virgin Media data leak.
Discovered in 2020, the data leak stemmed from a completely preventable error that resulted in the personal information of hundreds of thousands of people being exposed. Most were customers, but there were also some non-customers affected as well.
Data exposed in the information leak included names and contact details. This can be enough for criminals to misuse to commit fraud and theft. In some cases, very sensitive contract data was also caught up in the data leak as well.
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.
Data protection errors can cause inappropriate access to data
Good data protection is all about strict regulations and protective technological measures, and mistakes in either of these areas can cause inappropriate access to data events. Whether this is one user unintentionally being allowed to view sensitive information, or a cyberattack incident in which hackers steal large quantities of private data, all such incidents can have serious repercussions.
In the Virgin Media data breach, personal information became subjected to unauthorised access after a supposedly secure database was the subject of an operational error. The incident is demonstrative of the fact that even seemingly small mistakes can have wide-reaching consequences for data security.
In our eyes, the data controller – Virgin Media – bears the overall responsibility for any harm caused to its data subjects, many of whom were customers of the company. If you were adversely impacted by the Virgin Media data breach, you could be eligible to claim compensation for any harm caused, so sign up today via our online form if you want to join the fight for justice.
