By Cat Way. Last Updated 18th September 2025. You might be wondering if you could make a data breach claim if your email address has been shared without permission, exposed or compromised in a data breach.
In this guide, we explain the rules involving GDPR and email addresses. We also explore the criteria that your case must meet in order to form the basis of a data breach claim and how our solicitors can help you.
To learn more about the UK GDPR and email addresses, read on. Alternatively, you can contact our team of advisors to arrange a free consultation by clicking below.
4.8 (466 reviews) Is Sharing An Email Address A Breach Of GDPR?
You may find yourself asking, ‘Is sharing an email address a breach of GDPR?’. Organisations must follow data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA). These aim to prevent people from suffering harm due to data misuse.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is responsible for ensuring that data protection laws are followed. The ICO defines personal data as information that could be used to identify you, including your email address. Therefore, your email address should be protected in accordance with the law.
The DPA and UK GDPR outline data protection principles. These state that personal data must be:
- Used with accountability
- Kept up-to-date and accurate
- Stored for the correct amount of time
- Used minimally and with purpose
- Handled in a confidential manner
When an organisation does not control or process your data in accordance with these principles, they have failed to follow the law. For example, you may be able to claim against an organisation for sharing your email address without your permission.
Keep reading to find out more about the eligibility criteria. Alternatively, you may find it more helpful to call one of our advisors, who can explain anything you are unsure about.
You can also watch our video, which explains the key takeaways from this guide:
Data Breach Claim Eligibility
In order to make an eligible claim for data breach compensation, you will need to meet the following eligibility criteria:
- The data breach was caused by the organisation’s failings.
- The breach compromised your personal data.
- You suffered financial losses or mental harm due to the personal data breach.
Any organisation that processes your personal data must adhere to the rules and regulations found in the UK GDPR and the DPA 2018, as together, these form data protection laws. If they fail to comply with data protection laws, this could result in your personal data being breached. It is a breach of the UK GDPR for email addresses to be shared without a lawful basis for doing so. You must have also suffered either psychological injuries or financial harm as a result of the email sharing.
To see whether you may have a valid claim, you can contact our advisors. They may also be able to connect you with one of our solicitors who could assist you with your case.
4.8 (466 reviews) In What Circumstances Can Your Email Address Be Shared?
Sometimes, if you sign up for products and services, enter competitions or request information from an organisation, you could give out some of your personal data to do so. If you did in the past, prior to 2018 when the UK GDPR was implemented and the Data Protection Act 2018 updated alongside it, your personal data may not have been as well-protected.
Now, under the UK GDPR, giving out email addresses could be considered unlawful in some instances. However, in other instances, it may not be a breach of GDPR. In addition to this, under GDPR, sending personal data by email could be considered a data breach. So too could an email data leak, having personal information sent to the wrong email address, and this could have a number of unwanted consequences.
Organisations can lawfully share your personal information if:
- You consent to it; or
- They need to do so to fulfil a contract with you; or
- They need to do so to comply with the law; or
- Your life or someone else’s life is in danger and it’s, therefore, necessary; or
- They’re using it to fulfil a task that’s in the public interest; or
- They have legitimate business interests
Data Protection Breach Examples In The UK
Now we’ve answered the questions “is sharing an email address a breach of GDPR?” this section examines a few examples of how your email address could be exposed in a personal data breach and cause you to suffer harm.
Examples can include:
- A failure to use blind carbon copy (BCC) when sending workplace documents.
- Inadequate staff training meant hard copies of client mailing lists were not properly secured and subsequently lost.
- Administrative errors resulted in your contact information being sent to the wrong address.
There are many other circumstances in which our specialist data breach solicitors could help you to seek compensation. Reach out to our advisory team today for a free eligibility assessment. If your potential claim is deemed valid, then you could be connected with a highly experienced solicitor. The team are available 24 hours a day via the contact information given below.
What Compensation Can I Receive For An Email Data Breach
If you’ve suffered a personal or work email address data breach that has affected your personal data, you may want to know more about your data rights and the potential compensation you could receive.
A UK GDPR email breach resulting from an organisation’s failings that affects your personal data and causes you financial damage or psychological harm, could result in you receiving compensation.
Non-material damages relate to the psychological trauma you may have experienced from your personal data being breached. Psychological injuries you may be able to claim for include anxiety, depression, distress and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Below is a list of compensation brackets from the Judicial College Guidelines based on past cases. These figures are taken from the latest guidelines, except for the top figure.
It’s important to remember that these figures are guidelines only. Every claim is unique, so you are likely to receive a different amount from the ones listed below.
| Type of Harm | Notes | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple injuries and financial losses | Severe | Up to £500,000+ |
| Psychological Harm | Severe (a) | £66,920 to £141,240 |
| Moderately Severe (b) | £23,270 to £66,920 | |
| Moderate (c) | £7,150 to £23,270 | |
| Less Severe (d) | £1,880 to £7,150 | |
| PTSD | Severe (a) | £73,050 to £122,850 |
| Moderately Severe (b) | £28,250 to £73,050 | |
| Moderate (c) | £9,980 to £28,250 | |
| Less Severe (d) | £4,820 to £9,980 |
What Else Can I Claim For After A GDPR Email Breach?
Material damage relates to the financial losses you’ve suffered as a result of the UK GDPR email breach of your personal data. Potential financial losses you could incur from such a data breach include:
- Healthcare costs – For instance, you may require medication to treat stress caused by the breach.
- Travel costs – If, for instance, you’ve had to drive to the hospital for health appointments related to this, you may be able to claim for the expenses caused, such as the cost of petrol.
- Loss of earnings – You could lose money because you’re unable to work as a result of stress caused by the breach. If this is long-term or permanent, you may also be able to claim for future loss of earnings.
However, this is not an exhaustive list of the losses you could claim for. You could potentially claim for other financial loss relating to the data breach. However, you would need financial evidence highlighting these losses such as receipts, invoices and bank statements. To learn more about claiming for a GDPR email breach, please contact us for free legal advice using the details above.
What To Do If Your Email Address Has Been Breached
As we have explained, in some circumstances, your email address can be shared without your permission, but the purpose for sharing must meet a lawful basis.
Unfortunately, you could be unaware for some time that a personal data breach has happened. In the time period where you’re unaware, cybercriminals have the opportunity to commit fraud or even identity theft. If you are thinking about making a claim after a personal data breach, the checklist below can help to minimise the damage:
- Ensure all passwords are changed, and enhance your security on your devices.
- Raise a complaint and contact the data controller or data processor responsible for the data breach about the extent of the breach and how it happened.
- If the responsible party in question does not provide a satisfactory response you could then report the data breach to the ICO. The ICO can then choose to investigate the breach, and their findings can be used as part of your evidence. However, the ICO cannot help you obtain compensation for a data breach. So, you should contact us to potentially be connected with one of our expert data breach solicitors who can help you claim compensation.
- Begin to collect evidence of your financial losses.
- Begin to collect evidence of your emotional damage, such as accessing your medical records.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the personal data breach compensation claims time limit is usually 6 years. Although this might seem like a long time, it is better to begin a claim as soon as possible after the breach, because the details of the claim will be fresh in your mind.
How Could No Win No Fee Solicitors Help You?
If you have a valid claim for email data breach compensation, you could claim with one of our No Win No Fee lawyers.
No Win No Fee means you would not pay legal fees to your lawyer until your claim ends, and compensation comes through. A No Win No Fee solicitor would need to have you sign a Conditional Fee Agreement prior to taking your claim. (This is a formal term for No Win No Fee agreement.)
This would denote the percentage of the success fee you’d pay from your settlement to your lawyer at the end of your claim. You’d only pay this if the claim is successful. Additionally, the fee is capped by law.
If your solicitor doesn’t achieve compensation, you wouldn’t need to pay them any solicitor fees at all.
Contact Our Team
Here at Legal Expert, we would be happy to assist you if you want to have a free claims assessment or if you’re ready to begin a No Win No Fee claim. Our service comes highly recommended, as you can see from our reviews. All you need to do to get started is:
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Complete the contact us form
- Email [email protected]
- Use our Live Chat on this page
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) On GDPR and Email Addresses
Below, you can find some helpful answers to common questions on GDPR and sharing email addresses:
Can Someone Share My Email Address Without My Permission?
Generally, no. Under the UK GDPR, your email address counts as personal data if it identifies you directly or indirectly. Organisations or individuals usually need a lawful basis to share it, such as your consent, a legal obligation, or a legitimate interest that doesn’t override your privacy rights. If your email is shared without a valid reason, it could amount to a data protection breach.
Is It A Breach Of GDPR To Share Email Addresses?
Yes, it can be. Sharing email addresses without a lawful basis or appropriate safeguards can breach GDPR rules. For example, sending an email to multiple recipients using “CC” instead of “BCC” is a common mistake that exposes email addresses and can be considered a data breach.
Is It Illegal To Give Out Someone’s Email Address Without Their Permission?
It depends on the circumstances. Sharing someone’s email address without permission may not always be “illegal” in the criminal sense, but it could still breach data protection laws and expose the sharer or organisation to regulatory action or compensation claims. In more serious cases, such as deliberate misuse, there could be additional legal consequences.
Are Email Addresses Covered By GDPR?
Yes. An email address is considered personal data if it relates to an identifiable person, such as [email protected]. Generic or role-based addresses (like [email protected]) are not usually covered unless they can still identify a living individual.
Is A Work Email Address Considered Personal Data Under GDPR?
Yes, if it includes someone’s name or otherwise identifies them, such as [email protected]. Even though it’s a work address, GDPR protection still applies because it relates to a natural person. Employers and organisations must handle these addresses in line with data protection law.
What Kind Of Harm Or Loss Must I Show To Claim Compensation For A Shared Email Address?
To claim data breach compensation, you must show that the sharing of your email caused you harm. This might be financial or psychological, such as stress, anxiety or loss of confidence in data security. Evidence of this impact is important when making a claim.
How Long Do I Have To Make A Claim If My Email Was Shared Without Permission?
The usual time limit is six years from the date of the breach to begin a claim in England and Wales. If the claim is against a public body, such as a local council or the NHS, the limit is one year. It’s best to seek legal advice as soon as possible after discovering a breach.
Can I Claim Compensation If My Email Address Was Shared Accidentally (For Example, By Mistake Or Human Error)?
Yes. Even accidental sharing, such as an employee emailing the wrong recipient list, may still count as a GDPR breach. Organisations are responsible for putting safeguards in place to prevent human error, and you could still be entitled to compensation if the mistake caused you harm.
What Evidence Will I Need To Support A Claim For Email Address Sharing?
Helpful evidence might include:
- A copy of the email or communication that revealed your address.
- Any notification you received from the organisation about the breach.
- Screenshots or correspondence showing that your data was shared.
- Records of stress, anxiety or financial losses linked to the breach.
This evidence can support your claim and help demonstrate both the breach and its impact.
More Help On Is Sharing An Email Address A Breach Of GDPR?
The ICO Guide To Sharing Personal Data By Email – As well as learning the answer to ‘is sharing an email address a breach of GDPR?’, you can find out what the ICO says about sending personal data by email here.
- What Are Personal Data Breaches? – More information about what constitutes a data breach can be found here.
- Raising Concerns With The ICO – You can learn how to raise concerns with the ICO here.
- Fax Data Breaches – Find out if you could claim for a fax data breach here.
- University Data Breaches – You can find out about university data breaches here.
Other Useful Compensation Guides
- If you work for a school or if your personal data held by a school is shared by email, you could make a data breach claim against that school.
- I Suffered Stress Due To A Data Breach Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation?
- Employer Personal Data Breach Compensation Claims
- Compensation For Medical Data Breach
We hope this guide, which has answered popular questions such as ‘Is an email address personal data?’ and ‘Is sharing an email address a breach of GDPR?’, has proven to be useful. If you would like to speak to an advisor about any queries you have, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can contact Legal Expert on the phone or online by using the contact details included in this guide.
