Greater Manchester Police data breach could lead to Group Action
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The recently revealed Greater Manchester Police data breach that may have affected thousands of victims of serious crime could lead to a Group Action Compensation Case.
The serious data leak, revealed in an exclusive story from ManchesterMill.Co.Uk, is based on information sourced from an anonymous whistleblower. According to the reports, a test database was accessible online without a password on the website for a third-party IT contractor.
It is unknown if the database was accessed, but the information involved in the incident is understood to have included the names and addresses for victims of serious crime. It is also understood to have included information for witnesses and informants.
Given the nature of the information that is involved in the Greater Manchester Police data breach, this is a serious incident. The data involved is precisely the kind that we would want to remain private and confidential, and losing control over such information could be devastating for the victims.
We will outline below what people can do about distress suffered from a data event like this.
Further, we cannot ignore the real threat for those involved as well. Although we are being told that there is no evidence of the information being accessed, it is clear that, in the wrong hands, this exposed information could cause serious harm to a lot of people. With some of the victims understood to have suffered from serious crimes, including sexual assault and domestic violence, this is an incredibly concerning breach of private information.
Some of the victims may have had the benefit of legal anonymity which may now have been breached as well.
The Greater Manchester Police data breach incident could turn into a group action or multi-party litigation. Given that thousands of people are understood to have been affected, this could mean that thousands of individuals may be entitled to claim data breach compensation in accordance with the GDPR.
The GDPR can allow victims to receive damages for any distress caused by the loss of control of personal information. The more personal and sensitive the data is, the more a case could be valued at. The amounts that people could receive can also be affected by factors such as the context of the breach and how badly a person is affected.
Victims of the breach should be informed if they have been affected, and they are entitled to know precisely what data about them has been involved in the breach. A thorough investigation needs to get to the bottom of how this has happened and what the real risks are for victims.
The matter has been referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for investigation. Any fine or final report they issue is not designed to cover compensation, so victims will need to launch their own legal case which we can assist with. We are prepared to take claims forward for victims now on a No Win, No Fee basis.
If you have been informed that you are a victim of the Greater Manchester Police data breach, our team is happy to provide you with free and no-obligation advice.
Please do not hesitate to contact us here today.
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