Our client who is employed as manager of a charity, received a letter in 2019 from the Cabinet Office; informing that he would be appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year 2020 Honours List.

This announcement was a special time for our client and his family, who were all looking forward to the event the following year.

A month after the initial letter was received, he was called by the Cabinet Office and made aware that his personal details had been exposed in a data breach. This was later confirmed on the radio, which highlighted that the government had published the addresses of all recipients on their website.

Although it was confirmed that the personal information was removed within the hour, this information could have been further jeopardised within that time frame.

Our client received the MBE in the new year for his community services, which focusses on Muslim heritage and identity in Britain. Due to the exposure of our clients home address making it public knowledge and the nature of his role within the community; there were safety concerns and anxieties which were a reflection of the breach’s occurrence.

What was a proud moment for our client, was tainted with the data breach aftermath; which will have a longstanding effect of uncertainty.

Acting on behalf of our client in this circumstance, we were able to receive a sum of £1,500.00 in compensation for the inconvenience caused by this data breach.