Customers are the least comfortable sharing their data with logistics firms, with just five per cent feeling confident that their personal information will be protected, research claims.

Only six per cent said they trusted social media companies, and seven per cent trusted media and entertainment firms, according to a survey from cybersecurity firm Thales.

Customers can be required to share information for many reasons, from placing an order with a company online to registering for a bank account or booking a healthcare appointment.  

Worried: Almost a third of people say they have stopped using a company or service in the past year due to concerns over their data

Worried: Almost a third of people say they have stopped using a company or service in the past year due to concerns over their data

Worried: Almost a third of people say they have stopped using a company or service in the past year due to concerns over their data

Hospitality and retail companies were also said to be untrustworthy, with only eight per cent saying they would hand over their data without worry. 

Banking companies are reportedly the most trustworthy, with 44 per cent comfortable sharing their data.

Healthcare and Government services were also among the more trustworthy companies, the data showed.

Simon McNally, cybersecurity expert at Thales, said: ‘Perhaps unsurprisingly for such highly regulated industries, banks, financial institutions and healthcare all had a high degree of trust amongst British consumers.

Know your rights: Simon McNally says companies must be honest with how they use your data

Know your rights: Simon McNally says companies must be honest with how they use your data

Know your rights: Simon McNally says companies must be honest with how they use your data

‘With mandatory requirements in most jurisdictions to use strong customer authentication, alongside rules on the types of the data they’re responsible for gathering, handling and managing, there is much that other sectors can learn from these industries in terms of their approach and maturity around data privacy.’

The research suggested that customers are not necessarily concerned about sharing their data in principle, but are worried about how it might be used. 

Some 89 per cent of people said they were happy to share their data, but 87 per cent expected some privacy rights to come with this.

As many as 55 per cent said they expected to be informed if their personal data was being collected by a company, while 53 per cent wanted the right to have their data deleted.

In fact, almost a third, (29 per cent) said they had stopped using a company or service in the past year because it asked for too much of their information, while 26 per cent said they had left because they were concerned about how their data was being used.

What are the rules on data protection? 

Often customers don’t bother reading firms’ data privacy policies, which is understandable as they are usually written using legal jargon and can be several pages long.

If they did, they would find that they have a number of rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) including the ability to to access information held about them, ask for inaccuracies to be corrected and request erasure. 

‘Under GDPR rules, companies must have a lawful basis for collecting and using personal data, and must be clear, open and honest with people from the start about how their personal data will be used,’ McNally said.

But whatever policies are in place, their data could still be leaked if the company suffers a security breach. 

McNally said: ‘The online service that an individual could be subject to a breach or cyberattack, leaking usernames, passwords or other personal information that hackers can then reuse and try on other platforms.

‘This could then lead to everything from identity theft and financial fraud, through to locking someone’s sensitive data entirely and demanding a ransom to restore access.’

Leaked: Customers may be able to ask for compensation if their information gets into the wrong hands - we explain the process below

Leaked: Customers may be able to ask for compensation if their information gets into the wrong hands - we explain the process below

Leaked: Customers may be able to ask for compensation if their information gets into the wrong hands – we explain the process below

In the event of a leak, though, you could be entitled to compensation from the company involved.

According to compliance consultancy DataGuard, you could receive compensation of as much as £2,000 if your email is leaked, or as much as £8,600 if your financial information is compromised.

The reality of claiming money for a data breach can be less straightforward though, with countless legal hoops to jump through – and the pay out might not be worth your time if the case goes to court.

How YOU can claim compensation if your data is leaked 

This is Money asked James Quartermaine, legal director at commercial law firm Doyle Clayton, how easy it is to get redress if your information is leaked. 

What options are available to me if my data has been leaked?

James Quartermaine says: ‘Where a company has failed to take adequate steps to secure your personal data, and that data has been leaked as a result of a data breach, the UK GDPR gives you the right to claim compensation for “material damage” if you have suffered financial loss and “non-material damage” where you have suffered distress.

All relative: James Quartermaine says the amount you might be entitled to is dependent on the distress caused

All relative: James Quartermaine says the amount you might be entitled to is dependent on the distress caused

All relative: James Quartermaine says the amount you might be entitled to is dependent on the distress caused

‘In some instances, you may be able to agree suitable compensation with the organisation responsible for the breach, but if that is not possible you may have to consider going to court.’

Quartermaine added that you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which he said could see regulatory or financial action taken against the data controller. 

‘While the ICO has draconian powers to impose fines on companies who have failed to take proper care to protect personal data, it does not have powers to award you financial compensation as a victim of the breach,’ he said.

How will I know if my data has been leaked, and by which company?

‘The onus is on the company responsible to get in touch with you,’ Quartermaine says. ‘Where companies become aware that they have suffered a data breach that poses a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals they have a duty to inform those affected without undue delay.’

According to Quartermaine, firms should provide the details of their data protection officer, as well as the possible consequences of the data breach in question, and the action they plan to take to reduce adverse effects.

‘This should include advice on steps you can take to protect yourself and details of any assistance that they are prepared to offer you,’ he said.

What compensation am I entitled to?

‘There is no one-size fits all approach to assessing compensation, and the precise amount will often be highly dependent of the facts of each individual case,’ Quartermaine says.

‘Much will turn on the sensitivity of the data that has been leaked. For instance, a leak of medical information or sensitive information relating to children will usually attract a higher level of award.

‘Where you can prove that you have suffered financial loss as a direct result of the breach you can claim for that loss.

‘However, in many cases people will not be able to prove direct financial loss but will instead be looking to recover compensation for the distress, anxiety or frustration they have suffered.

‘Damages for distress alone have traditionally not attracted large awards of compensation and the UK courts have taken the approach that a threshold of seriousness must be crossed before any compensation can become payable. Judges have been increasingly willing to strike out “trivial” data claims that do not cross the threshold of seriousness.’

Is it worth the effort?

 The amount that you can receive as a result of a claim is dependent on the extent of your suffering as a result of the leak. And, according to Quartermaine, this is assessed relative to other case types where suffering is involved. 

‘In assessing damages for distress in data breach cases judges bear in mind the level of awards made for psychiatric or psychological injury in personal injury cases to ensure that any award is not disproportionate to the amounts awarded there,’ he says. 

‘Previous case law suggests that the starting point for an award for distress alone in data cases at the lower end of the ‘seriousness’ spectrum may be in the region of £750 -£1,000.’

‘In such cases claims will ordinarily be allocated to the small claims track of the County Court. Obviously where there are aggravating factors and evidence of serious distress or psychological impact on an individual the awards will be much higher.’

However, that is not to say that it is not worth making a claim, especially if your finances have suffered. 

‘If you have been the victim of a data breach and you can show evidence that it has caused you significant distress or financial loss then you are likely to have the basis of a successful claim for compensation. 

‘If you cannot agree compensation with the data controller then you may have to consider litigation, but any litigation can be stressful so seeking specialist legal advice before you do so is highly recommended,’ Quartermaine says.

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