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Is Revealing My Phone Number A Breach Of The UK GDPR?

Last Updated: 11 September 2025. Is revealing my phone number a breach of the UK GDPR? As you will learn in this guide, your phone number is considered personal data. And as such, it is covered by data protection laws. Throughout this article, we will explain what the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) is, how it works with the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA), and who can claim after a breach of the UK GDPR.

screen with words 'data breach' and a cross and a worried person thinking, 'Is Revealing My Phone Number A Breach Of The UK GDPR?'

All claims are unique in some way. Based on its own unique set of circumstances. Therefore, we may not answer all of your questions in this guide. In this case, you can get in touch by:

Or, read on to find out if an organisation revealing your phone number is a breach of UK GDPR.

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What Is The New UK GDPR?

The UK GDPR works alongside the DPA and provides rights to data subjects. Under the UK GDPR, organisations are known as data controllers; when they say why and how a data subject’s personal information will be processed. A data subject is you, when your personal information is being processed. All data controllers must provide at least one of the six lawful bases for processing personal data and implement the seven key principles.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the independent body assigned to help ensure that organisations comply with these laws. You can also report a personal data breach to the ICO, as they often take punitive action against organisations that are found to be in breach of data privacy and protection laws.

To find out if you could be eligible to make a claim, or to learn more about how revealing your phone number could be a breach of the UK GDPR, get in touch with our advisors today.

What Personal Data Is Protected By The UK GDPR?

When an organisation collects or processes your personal data, this makes you a data subject. Personal data is any information that could identify you, including your:

  • Name
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Bank details, such as your debit card and credit card details

Special category data is a type of personal data that requires extra protection under the UK GDPR and DPA and can include information relating to your:

  • Health, such as medical records
  • Religion
  • Sexual orientation
  • Nationality
  • Ethnicity

For more information on making a data breach compensation claim, contact our advisors today.

Is Revealing My Phone Number A Breach Of The UK GDPR?

A personal data breach is a security incident in which the integrity, availability, or confidentiality of your personal data is compromised. As we have previously established, your phone number is protected as personal data under data protection law.

However, not every instance of an organisation revealing your phone number means a data breach has occurred. To make a personal data breach claim, you must be able to prove that:

  • The data controller or processor did not apply data protection laws when processing your personal information
  • This meant that your personal data was breached
  • And this caused you either mental illness or financial losses.

For example, if your personal details such as your telephone number are emiled to the wrong recipient, this could result in a personal data breach.

How Common Are Breaches Of The UK GDPR?

According to statistics published by the ICO, there were 3,081 data security incidents reported in Q1 of 2024/25. Of this number, 2,312 were non-cyber incidents, including 100 instances of verbal disclosure, 39 instances of loss or theft of devices containing personal data, and 549 instances of personal data being emailed to the wrong recipient.

To learn more about how revealing your phone number could be a breach of the UK GDPR, contact our team of advisors today.

How Long After Your Phone Number Being Revealed Could You Claim?

If your personal data has been breached and this could affect your rights, then the data controller must inform you of this breach as soon as they become aware of it. That said, they must also inform the ICO within 72 hours of being made aware of the data breach.

Should you want to start a claim because your personal information has been breached, then time limits apply.

These are:

  • 6 years to begin a personal data breach claim
  • 1 year if your claim is against a public body, such as a local council

Contact our advisors today to learn more about personal data breach claims time limits. They can provide free legal advice and may be able to connect you with a solicitor from our panel.

What Could Be Claimed After Revealing A Phone Number As A Breach Of The UK GDPR?

You can receive compensation for up to 2 types of damage. In a data breach claim, harm to your finances is referred to as ‘material damage’ and harm to your emotional health is called ‘non-material damage’.

For example, following a breach, you may experience stress, depression, or anxiety. The table below features figures taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), which provide guideline compensation amounts to help legal professionals value claims. Please note that the table is only intended as guidance and the first figure is not from the JCG.

InjurySeverityCompensation Guideline
Multiple Mental Injuries and Material Damage Very SeriousUp to 250,000+
Psychological HarmSevere£66,920 to £141,240
Psychological HarmModerately Severe Severe£23,270 to £66,920
Psychological HarmModerate£7,150 to £23,270
Psychological HarmLess Severe£1,880 to £7,150
PTSDSevere£73,050 to £122,850
PTSDModerately Severe£28,250 to £73,050
PTSDModerate£9,980 to £28,250
PTSDLess Severe£4,820 to £9,980

Since the ruling of Vidal-Hall and Others v Google Inc [2015], you may now make a claim for non-material damage without claiming for material damage alongside it.

Compensation for your material damage may include the costs towards relocation, security and therapy.

For more information on whether or not revealing your phone number is a breach of the UK GDPR, contact our advisors today.

Is Revealing Your Phone Number A Breach Of The UK GDPR? Contact Us To Learn More

Contact our team of advisors today if you want to start your personal data breach claim. They can offer free legal advice, and if your claim is valid, they may connect you with a solicitor from our panel.

By offering their services through a No Win No Fee agreement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), a solicitor from our panel could provide you with expert legal representation without upfront costs. This is because, under a CFA, you do not pay any upfront costs to your solicitor. If your case is successful, your solicitor will take a small percentage of your award as their success fee. However, if your claim does not succeed, you do not pay this fee.

Get in touch with our advisors today to learn more by:

Personal Detail Data Breach Resources

For more helpful personal data breach resources, try:

Or, try our other helpful guides:

Contact our advisors to learn more about whether revealing a phone number is a breach of the UK GDPR.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We will now deal with some of the most common questions pertaining to phone number data breaches:

Under Article 34 of the UK GDPR, data controllers in possession of your phone number must inform you in writing about the data breach as soon as possible if there is a high risk to your freedom and other rights due to the compromise. You may also find out that your phone number has been breached if you receive an increasing number of spam calls.

If somebody gets unauthorised access to your phone number, they could make it public, reset passwords, and even impersonate you through text messages.

Once you find out that your phone number has been breached, you must try to determine which other information has been compromised. Then, you must secure your social media and banking accounts by changing your passwords and logging out of all devices.

Meet The team

  • Tracey Chick UK LAW author and Lawyer

    Tracy Chick stands as a dedicated and expert Personal Injury and Road Traffic Accident lawyer, distinguished by her prestigious MASS Diploma in the field. Her profound understanding of UK road traffic law is not only applied daily in complex legal cases but also shared through her contributions to various legal guides. Tracy has both authored and meticulously reviewed multiple comprehensive guides on UK law, solidifying her reputation as a knowledgeable and trusted voice in the legal community.