Data breach claims are there to help you get the justice you deserve if you have had sensitive information mishandled by a third-party. Sometimes this could have been a complete accident, but in other circumstances it could have been completely intention. A study in November 2020 found that around 587 million records were breached over the previous year. Some of these records could have been breached by being supplied to the news and media. If you did not authorize the use of your data, you could be owed compensation for any damages that come from it. This is where Gowing Law Solicitors can step in to help you.
If you are ready to start your claim, you need an experienced law firm on your side to help you get the compensation that you deserve. Gowing Law’s experienced solicitors can support you throughout your claim and let you know if you are eligible for a pay-out. Why not get started today by getting in contact with us? Call us on 0800 041 8350 or visit our website below:
What is a Data Breach?
Before we jump into journalism, GDPR and Data breaches, let’s talk about the basics behind this claim. A data breach entails that some of your sensitive information, be it financial or personal details, has been leaked by a third party to either the public, journalists or to a different company. Your data could have been breached by:
- Someone trying to steal your identity to use a bank card
- Important financial data being lost by a trusted company
- A third party company used your data without your consent
- A company sent your information to a journal
- The company experienced a data leak
If any of these types of breaches have happened to you, you could be eligible to make a claim with the help of a solicitor. Take a look at the case study below to get a better idea of how you could be eligible for compensation:
What sort of damages could I experience from a Data Breach?
As you can see from our chart, the amount you could receive as compensation from your data breach claim could be in the thousands if you have become the victim of a large number of damages. Now, damages refer to what you have suffered as a result of the data breach. Just as an example, for a standard personal injury claim, you would count damages as physical injuries. So for a Data Breach Claim, it’s important that you consider how the breach has affected you both financially and emotionally.
If you have been the victim of a data breach, there is a high chance that your data could fall into the hands of someone who you don’t want to see it. There could then be a chance that you could also fall victim of criminal activity. Not only could this cause severe stress, anxiety and (to an extent) paranoia, but it could have a severe impact on your finances.
You could claim for these damages with the help of an experienced solicitor. That’s why we would highly recommend that you come to our law firm for help with any type of data breach claims.
Can I make a Data Breach Claim if my data has been shared by a journalist?
Over the last couple of years, GDPR has had a large impact on data compliance and how third parties are able to contact their clients in the future. Companies cannot share data unless it falls under “Principle 1: Fairness” or you have given consent for them to do so. However, journalists should not be given your data by a third party without you knowing about it.
The media must treat sensitive personal data with care. For journalism, this is information about a person’s:
- Race/Origin
- Religious Beliefs
- Politics
- Physical/Mental Health
- Sexual Activity
- Criminal Records
- Trade Union Membership Status
Journalists face restrictions when they use this type of information. If they have used it without your consent or in a way that has affected your quality of life, i.e. revealed personal information or financial information, you could be owed compensation for the damages you have experienced.
So, just to be blunt, if a journalist is going to use your sensitive data, they can only use it is they have either got your consent or you have already made the sensitive data public. That means it is in the public domain and you, yourself, took the necessary steps to make it public knowledge.
How can I prove that my data was breached by a journalist?
Data breach claims are there to protect you if you have had your data stolen or mishandled by a third party. If your data has been breached by a journalist, you could claim under section 55 of the DPA that an offence has been committed. If a journalist has knowingly obtained or disclosed personal data, without the person’s consent, then you could claim compensation.
The best examples of this happening include:
- Blagging
- Hacking
- Tapping into bad security
- Taking on another identity to obtain the information
- Using private investigators
Unless their actions were to stop a crime or criminal offence from happening, you can claim for damages against them. Your solicitor can help you understand how much you could be owed. They can also help move your case along. In some circumstances, it may be necessary to go to court. This is in order to get a decision made on your compensation. If this does happen, your solicitor will be there to support you throughout this process.
Gowing Law Solicitors are here to help you with Data Breach Claims
Data breach claims are a way of helping you regain control over your life. We understand that any sort of breach may have impacted your quality of life. That’s why our experienced solicitors are here to help you. We can give you free advice and consultations to get you started. If you are happy to work with our team of experts, our solicitors can help you on a “no win-no fee” basis. That means there will be no hidden fees. Better yet, if we do not win your case, you will not need to pay our solicitors. Therefore, you will always come out on top.
Speak to our data breach claims solicitors today by calling 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our claim’s checker. One of our lawyers will then be in contact to help answer your questions.
Learn more about Data Breach Claims
If you are ready to learn more about making a data breach claim, we would highly recommend that you visit our blog for more information. We update it every week with brand new content. This includes information about UK legal claims, seasonal events and updates about our law firm. We also host giveaways and competitions on both our blog and social media. So, make sure to follow them by clicking the links below. If you would like to suggest a blog topic to us, feel free to send it into info@gowinglaw.co.uk. We will then address it in our blog.
Gowing Law looks forward to seeing you in our next article!
