Data breach complaints soar by 160% in three months

Complaints to the Information Commissioner’s Office about potential data breaches have more than doubled since GDPR-Day, according to new figures which show the regulator received 6,281 gripes between May 25 and July 3 this year, a 160% rise on the same period in 2017.
The figures, compiled by commercial law firm EMW reveal that financial services, education and health were the most complained about sectors, accounting for more than a quarter of the total.
EMW claims that greater media attention and the ICO’s “Your Data Matters” campaign – launched in April – have boosted individuals’ awareness of their data rights and there is now a more public focus on the accountability of businesses in this area.
James Geary, principal at EMW, said: “A huge increase in complaints is very worrying for many businesses, considering the scale of the fines that can now be imposed.
“There are some disgruntled individuals prepared to use the full extent of GDPR that will create a significant workload for businesses.
“We have seen that many businesses are currently struggling to manage the burden created by the GDPR, whether or not that relates to the implementation of the GDPR or reportable data security breach incidents.
He added: “Despite this being on the horizon for a couple of years, the reality of the work involved in implementation and ongoing compliance may have taken many businesses by surprise. The more data a business has, the harder it is to respond quickly and in the correct compliant manner.”

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