Data breach compensation claims against the councils and the police

Data breach compensation claims against councils and the police can be common, and we represent a lot of people pursuing damages for privacy matters involving the public sector in general.

If we believe that there is a case to pursue, we can represent individuals on a No Win, No Fee basis. The easiest way to find out if you could be eligible to claim is to contact our team for free, no-obligation legal advice here now.

Common breaches involving councils and the police

It can be common for data breaches to involve the councils and the police. Notably, both these public sector organisations store and process a wealth of very personal and sensitive information for a lot of people.

Given the nature of the data that they will hold, they are also a target for cybercriminals who may try to break in to systems and servers to steal information.

With these factors in mind, it is very important for councils and the police to uphold excellent data protection policies, practices and procedures, and make sure that they deploy the best cybersecurity they can. It could only take one security flaw or one human error and swathes of personal information for many people could be exposed. In some of the worst cases, when it comes to the councils and local authorities, this could include sensitive medical and domestic information, particularly in relation to social services. When it comes to the police, this could include very sensitive data about crimes and the impact on alleged victims, and could also result in a safety issue in respect of any witnesses or alleged victims.

Snooping data breaches in the public sector

Snooping data breaches have been rife in the public sector for many years, and some of these do involve the councils and the police, as well as the healthcare sector. In many cases, these events arise from employees who abuse their right of access to snoop on the information of people they know. In such settings, it could be employees working for local authorities looking at sensitive social services matters. In the police, it could be officers abusing their right of access to databases to look at criminal records they should not be accessing. In the NHS, it often comes down to employees looking at the medical records of people they know.

Data snooping can amount to a breach of the GDPR and can result in the UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), prosecuting individuals for their acts. When it comes to those whose information has been misused or exposed as a result of a snooping event, they could be entitled to pursue a claim for data breach compensation now.

Can I claim compensation for a data breach?

One of the common questions people ask us is: can I claim compensation for a data breach?

If your right to privacy has been breached, the answer could be: yes!

If this breach has resulted in you suffering distress as a result of the loss of control of your personal information, that is what you could be eligible to pursue damages for in accordance with the GDPR.

The best thing to do is contact our team where we can provide you with free, no-obligation legal advice, and you may be able to find out straight away if we may be able to represent you.