In September of 2024, it was discovered that taxi drivers licensed by Sefton Council experienced a breach of their personal data. This caused a Merseyside taxi driver data breach.
When personal data is exposed, it can result in considerable stress and anxiety. Throughout this article we address what steps Sefton licensed drivers can take following this compromise of their personal data. Additionally, we’ll provide information about the data protection laws in place which set out how personal information must be processed. Furthermore, these laws set out the criteria to meet should a data subject (that’s you) want to claim compensation for a breach of their personal data.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to find out if you are eligible to start a data breach claim, speak with a member of our advisory team. In addition to a free no obligation consultation, they can connect you with one of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel if you satisfy the data breach claims eligibility criteria.
Contact an advisor using the details below:
- Fill in our contact us form and an advisor will call you.
- Call an advisor on 020 8050 3051
- Ask a question about claiming data breach compensation in our live chat.
Browse Our Guide
- What Is The Merseyside Taxi Driver Data Breach?
- What Is The Eligibility Criteria When Claiming For A Data Breach?
- What Should I Do If I’ve Been Impacted By The Merseyside Taxi Driver Data Breach?
- Do I Need Proof To Claim For The Merseyside Taxi Driver Data Breach?
- How Is Compensation Calculated In A Data Breach Claim?
- Contact Us To See If You Can Make A Data Breach Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Read More About How To Claim For A Data Breach
What Is The Merseyside Taxi Driver Data Breach?
Personal data of thousands of taxi drivers licensed by Sefton Council has been exposed for up to five months after the authority’s databases became accessible by the public. It was discovered on the 5th of September 2024. However, the council have rectified the issue. The information that was visible online included full names and home addresses.
It is not entirely clear when the breach actually occurred. However, Sefton Council implemented a new Taxi Licensing computer system during April 2024. The new system allowed taxi drivers and vehicle owners to upload evidence documents as well as licensing fees.
If you have been affected by the Merseyside taxi drivers data breach, call our team members for advice.
Defining Personal Data Breaches
Let’s look at some key terms and legislation that you may come across when it comes to personal data and breaches:
- The two laws that govern data protection for UK residents are the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Together, they set out what personal data is, how it should be protected and how data subjects can be compensated should a breach occur.
- Personal data is defined as any information that can either directly or indirectly identify a person as the data subject. This includes names, addresses, National Insurance numbers and even email addresses. Certain types of personal data are deemed to be more sensitive and given additional protections under the law. This is known as special category data.
- A data subject is a person who the data can identify. This can occur either alone or in conjunction with other pieces of information. For example, a phone number combined with a home address may identify the data subject.
- Data processing is anything that is done with personal data, such as recording and storing or filing it.
- A data controller is any organisation, such as a public authority or agency, that determines the means and purpose for processing data. They may appoint a processor to carry out this role on their behalf.
- A data breach is defined as a security incident affecting personal data. It may include the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of or access to processed personal data. A security incident could occur through human error, such as publishing personal data on a publicly viewable database or through criminal activity, such as hackers gaining access to a database.
What Is The Eligibility Criteria When Claiming For A Data Breach?
If your personal data has been compromised, you might be eligible to claim compensation for the financial hardships or mental health damage the incident caused. However, you must meet the data breach compensation claims eligibility criteria:
- The security incident occurred due to the data controller or processor failing to comply with data protection laws.
- Your personal data was included in the breach.
- Due to this compromise in your personal data, you suffered damage to your mental health, such as anxiety or stress and/or experienced financial losses, such as having to pay relocation fees.
One of our advisors can discuss the data breach compensation eligibility with you. Call or get in touch using the details at the top of the page.
What Should I Do If I’ve Been Impacted By The Merseyside Taxi Driver Data Breach?
If you have been impacted by a data breach and would like to claim compensation, call our advisory team. The advice they give is free.
One of our advisors can help assess whether you have good grounds to launch a data breach claim and if you do and would like to proceed with our services, you could be connected to one of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel.
An experienced data breach solicitor can help you gather evidence. Evidence must show how you were harmed due to a compromise in your personal data. They can also help guide you through the claims process and ensure that your claim is filed on time and in full with all damages accounted for.
To further discuss what steps you could take following the Merseyside taxi driver data breach, speak with a member of our advisory team today.
Do I Need Proof To Claim For The Merseyside Taxi Driver Data Breach?
All data breach claims must be supported with compelling evidence to prove liability for the harm you suffered. Useful evidence may include:
- The letter of notification. If your personal data was included in the Merseyside taxi driver data breach, you will be informed via a notification letter without undue delay if your rights and freedoms are at risk.
- Confirmation of the security incident from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is the independent body that enforces data protection laws. Organisations that experience a data breach must alert them within 72 hours of awareness. You can also report a data breach involving your personal data to the ICO, but you must do so within three months of the last meaningful communication between yourself and the organisation.
- Medical records if the compromise of your personal data caused injury to your mental health and would like to claim compensation for this.
- Documentation showing financial hardships, such as invoices and receipts if you are claiming for your material damage. For example, if you have to move house due to the breach, you can provide documentation showing all costs relating to this.
Call to speak to an advisor about gathering evidence.
How Is Compensation Calculated In A Data Breach Claim?
You can claim compensation for up to two types of loss you suffered as a result of the compromise in your data. These are:
- Material damage. This refers to the financial losses that you have experienced due to the data breach. If you had to take time off work due to the effects of the data breach, you can recover your loss of earnings. Material damage can also cover items such as therapy costs for mental health injuries that the breach has caused.
- Non-material damage. This refers to any psychological harm and emotional distress that has been caused by the compromise of your personal data.
Call an advisor to discuss how the Merseyside taxi driver data breach impacted you.
Contact Us To See If You Can Make A Data Breach Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
If you are eligible to seek compensation for a data breach, you may like to instruct an experienced solicitor to work on your claim. The data breach solicitors from our panel have many years of experience helping claimants secure compensation. They also work on a No Win No Fee basis.
Their No Win No Fee service is offered under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This means that you get all the advantages of an experienced solicitor:
- Without paying upfront or ongoing fees for their work.
- There also won’t be any costs towards their services if you aren’t awarded compensation after an unsuccessful case.
- A success fee only becomes payable if your data breach claim has a successful outcome. Your solicitor will take this from the compensation that has been awarded to you. Furthermore, to ensure that you keep the majority of your compensation, this percentage is legally limited.
If you need any further information or assistance following the Merseyside taxi driver data breach, please speak to a member of our advisory team:
- Contact us online for a call back.
- Call 020 8050 3051
- Ask about data protection breaches in our live chat.
Read More About How To Claim For A Data Breach
Here are a few more articles from across our site:
- If your personal data was compromised due to a breach of data protection at work, this article can provide information on how to claim.
- This guide provides advice on what to do if your personal data was sent to the wrong address and how to claim compensation.
- Guidance on HR data breach claims.
These external links might be useful:
- Information about stress from the NHS.
- The National Cyber Security Centre’s guide to data breaches for individuals and families.
- Guidance on data protection from the government.
Thank you for reading our article about the Merseyside taxi driver data breach. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact a team member who can help you out.