My Data Was Breached Via Skype – How Do I Claim?

If your data was breached via Skype, you might be wondering if you could be eligible to claim compensation.

Skype data breach compensation claims guide

My data was breached via Skype – claims guide

 

In this guide, we will discuss how your personal data could be compromised through the use of Skype, an online messaging service.

We will also discuss what a personal data breach, and what data constitutes as personal data. The personal data of UK residents is protected by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA).

If your data was breached via Skype, and this caused you to suffer harm, you could be eligible to claim. To see if you can claim compensation for a breach of data protection, please get in touch with one of our advisors today:

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What Is A Data Breach Via Skype?

A data breach is a security incident in which the confidentiality, availability, or integrity of your personal data is compromised. Personal data is any information that, if used alone or with the help of other details, could be used to identify you as a living person.

Many organisations use Skype as a system of workplace communication, and similarly for personal reasons. However, if your personal data is compromised over skype, this could cause you significant distress, and can even harm your finances.

Under the following circumstances, you may be eligible to claim compensation:

  • Firstly, the wrongful conduct of a data controller or processor resulted in your data being breached.
  • Secondly, you suffered emotional distress because of the data breach. On the other hand, The data breach led to financial losses.

A data controller is responsible for establishing why your data needs to be used, and how they intend to use it. Then, it is processed by the data processor.

Please get in touch with us today to see if you are eligible to claim compensation. Our panel of No Win No Fee data breach solicitors may be able to handle your claim.

How Could Your Data Be Breached Via Skype?

There are many ways in which your personal data could be breached through Skype. However, as we mentioned in the section above, you cannot claim for every instance of a data breach. This is laid out by the UK GDPR.

Under this legislation, in order to make a valid claim, the breach must occur because of wrongful conduct on the part of the data controller or the data processor. Similarly, if your data is breached via Skype, you would make a claim against the organisation responsible, and not the app itself.

With this in mind, some examples of how wrongful conduct could lead to a breach over Skype include:

  • Misdelivery of data: For example, a lawyer data breach could occur if documents containing your personal data are sent to the wrong Skype address.
  • Verbal disclosure: Verbal disclosure could occur if your employer personal data from your disciplinary paperwork over a Skype call.
  • Wrong attachments: An example of a human error data breach that could occur could be attaching the wrong documents to a Skype message, enabling an unauthorised party access to your personal data.

If your personal data has been breached via Skype, get in touch with our advisors today. They could help you identify whether you could be eligible to claim.

What Counts As Personal Data?

Personal data identifies a person—for example, your full name and your post code could both be considered personal data. Under the UK GDPR, organisations are responsible for safeguarding the personal data they collect. Here are some examples of personal data an organisation may collect.

The UK GDPR identifies special category data. Special category data is sensitive personal data. Organisations must meet additional conditions to collect special category data. Moreover, the UK GDPR requires organisations to apply additional protections to special category data. Below are some examples of special category data:

  • Health information, such as medical records
  • Your sexuality
  • Your racial or ethnic origin
  • Religious or philosophical beliefs
  • Political views

Read on to learn how a data breach via Skype could impact you, or get in touch today to start your claim.

How Could A Data Breach Via Skype Impact You?

A personal data breach can have significant and long-lasting negative effects on both your mental health and your finances.

For example, a personal data breach can cause harm to you psychological wellbeing, and can result in conditions such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Similarly, if you already suffer from mental health conditions, a personal data breach could worsen the symptoms of these conditions.

A breach can also have a negative impact on your finances. For example, if your personal data is used to commit identity theft, this could leave you in debt, or with damage done to your credit score. Similarly, a breach of your credit or debit card details over skype could leave you with fraudulent charges on your cards, or they may steal money from your accounts.

To learn more about the potential effects of a personal data breach, get in touch with our team of advisors today.

What Could You Be Awarded If Your Data Is Breached Via Skype?

If your personal data breach claims succeeds, you could receive material damage compensation as well as non-material damage compensation. Material damage compensation applies to the financial impacts of the breach, such as money that has been stolen from your accounts, or charges made in your name,

Non-material damage compensation applies to the psychological effects of the breach. For example, if you suffer from depression following the breach, or if it makes the symptoms of pre-existing conditions such as PTSD or anxiety worse, then you could be compensated for this under the non-material damage head of your claim.

Below, you can find a table that contains guideline figures from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document often helps legal experts such as judges, lawyers, and solicitors in valuing the worth of compensation claims.

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Category Severity Damages Notes
Psychological damage Severe £54,830 to £115,730 Symptoms in this bracket will be permanent, and will cause significant issues in coping with all aspects of everyday life.
Psychological damage Moderately Severe £19,070 to £54,830 The prognosis of this bracket is more optimistic than that of the bracket above.
Psychological damage Moderate £5,860 to £19,070 By the time this case is heard at trial, symptoms will have shown a marked improvement.
Psychological damage Less Severe £1,540 to £5,860 The amount of compensation the claimant may be entitled to will be based on factors such as how long any symptoms lasted for and how they affected daily life.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD Severe £59,860 to £100,670 There will be no remaining ability to function or work at the pre-trauma level due to the presence of severe symptoms.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD Moderately Severe £23,150 to £59,860 With professional treatment, there is some chance of recovery, leading to a better prognosis.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD Moderate £8,180 to £23,150 Those in this category should have largely recovered. There may still be symptoms, but these should not be considered grossly disabling.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD Less Severe £3,950 to £8,180 An almost full recovery has been made in 12 – 24 months, and any symptoms past this point are minor.

Please note that the figures in this table apply to non-material damage compensation, and should not be taken as guarantees or estimates of what you may receive. To learn more about compensation in personal data breach claims, get in touch with our advisors today.

Contact Us To Be Connected With A Data Breach Solicitor

Our panel of solicitors could help you start your claim with the aid of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA is a kind of No Win No Fee arrangement that allows you to access legal advice and representation without having to pay an upfront fee to your solicitor.

Typically, the only fee your solicitor will request under a CFA is a success fee, and this is only if your claim succeeds. If it fails, then your solicitor will not require a fee for their work.

To learn more about how a solicitor from our panel could help you if your data has been breached via Skype:

  • Call our advice line on 020 3870 4868
  • See if you can begin an online claim
  • Or you can ask us a question using our Live Support widget

More Data Breach Resources

For more information on claiming for a personal data breach:

Or, for more resources:

Thank you for reading our guide on claiming compensation if your data was breached via Skype.

Writer AL

Checked by HP