Last updated 1st October 2025. Was your personal information shared without your consent in the UK? If yes, you may have a valid data breach compensation claim. A data breach of any kind can lead to severe consequences, including financial losses, mental trauma, and damage to reputation. It can also feel like a breach of trust to realise that your personal information has been shared without your consent. The Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are the laws which govern data privacy in the UK.
If you discover any personal data breach, it is recommended that you consult a solicitor. Our data breach solicitors will guide you through the entire process and ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
What You Need To Know
- What counts as sharing personal information?– Sharing personal information can include publishing any data online, transferring it between different departments or passing it on to another entity.
- How should an organisation handle applicant or employee data?- While organisations are allowed to share employee data for legitimate business purposes, such as payroll, they still need to justify and record the basis.
- What if the police ask an organisation for customer data?- If the police make a legitimate request for the purpose of legal enforcement, such as a statutory requirement or court order, the organisation must comply without consent. They should always maintain a record of request and their response.
- How much time do I have to make a data breach claim?– There is generally a time limit of up to 6 years to start a claim for any data breach due to the sharing of any personal information without consent in the UK.
- Can the ICO award me compensation for the sharing of any private information in the UK without my consent?– No, the ICO doesn’t have the power to grant compensation for sharing private information without consent in the UK. It can only conduct an investigation into the data breach incident and apply a penalty on the organisation.
4.8 (466 reviews) Can My Personal Information Be Shared Without Consent In The UK?
Personal data is information that identifies you, either alone or with other information. For example, your name, address, and mobile number. If a security incident affects this information’s confidentiality, integrity, or availability, this is a personal data breach.
However, to form the basis of a valid personal data claim, you must prove that the data breach was due to the data controller’s failings or, in some circumstances, the data processor’s. You must also have suffered financial or mental harm (e.g. anxiety, depression, stress) because of the breach.
Data controllers and processors are responsible for protecting your personal data. Data controllers decide the reason and purpose of processing your personal data, while data processors act on their instructions. Any organisation that handles your personal data must comply with data protection law. However, this does not mean that your personal information cannot be shared without your consent in the UK.
Our advisors can tell you if you could be eligible to claim when you contact us today.
4.8 (466 reviews) What Is A Lawful Basis For Sharing Personal Information?
Under data protection law, organisations must establish a lawful basis to process your personal data. The UK GDPR provides six lawful bases where an organisation could share your personal information, as outlined in Article 6 of the UK GDPR.
Consent is only one of these bases, and it is important to note that all bases are equal. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has more information on the lawful bases for processing.
- Consent: An organisation can share your personal information if you have given them clear consent to do so for an exact purpose.
- Legitimate Interests: The processing is necessary for your legitimate interests or those of a third party. However, this base may not be valid if there is an overriding reason to protect your personal data.
- Legal Obligation: If an organisation must fulfil a legal obligation.
- Public Task: An organisation needs to process your personal information as it’s necessary for them to carry out a task in the public’s interest. Or, it could be for their official functions. Additionally, the function must have a clear lawful basis.
- Vital Interests: An organisation can share your personal data if it is necessary to protect your life.
- Contract: If you have a contract with an organisation that requires them to process your personal data to complete the terms stated in the contract.
If your personal information has been shared without your consent in the UK, our advisors can tell you if you have a valid claim. Get in touch today to learn more.
What Personal Information Could Be Shared?
Personal data covers any information that could identify you, alone or in conjunction with other information. For example, this can include:
- Name
- Address
- Mobile number
- Email address (unless it’s a shared email, such as a work email address.)
However, some personal data is classified as special category data. This is personal information that needs more protection because it is sensitive. Additionally, it is important to note that special category data is a type of personal data. Some examples (as defined by the UK GDPR) are personal data regarding:
- Political opinions
- Religious beliefs
- Race/ethnicity
- Biometric or genetic data
If your personal information has been shared without your consent in the UK and there are no other lawful bases, you may be eligible to claim compensation for any harm suffered. Contact our advisors today to learn more.
How Could My Personal Information Being Shared In A Data Breach Impact Me?
A personal data breach can cause lasting and significant harm. Firstly, you may experience harm to your mental health. This could include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Lack of sleep
- Distress
For example, suppose an organisation shared your home address without a lawful basis to do so. In this case, you may worry about strangers coming to your home address, receiving unwanted spam or junk mail, or the safety of yourself or your family.
Additionally, you may suffer financial harm. For example, a breach could affect your banking details or credit card information. In that case, you could suffer financial losses from someone withdrawing money from your bank account or taking out loans in your name. These financial losses could add up substantially and may also impact your mental health.
Contact our advisors today to learn more about how a personal data breach could impact you.
How Much Could I Claim If My Personal Information Was Shared Without Consent In The UK?
If you have a successful data breach claim after your personal information was shared without consent in the UK, you could be compensated for material damage and non-material damage.
Non-material damage is the psychological harm you have suffered due to your personal data being breached. This covers anxiety, stress, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Your data breach solicitor will go through the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to value your non-material damage.
The JCG contains estimated compensation brackets for all kinds of psychological and physical harm.
Guideline Compensation Table
We have taken some types of psychological harm and their accompanying guideline compensation brackets from the JCG and have included them in the table below.
Please bear in mind that none of these figures can be guaranteed for your potential data breach claim, since all claims are unique. Also, the top figure is not from the JCG.
| Harm | Severity | Compensation Brackets |
|---|---|---|
| Serious psychological harm and material damage | Serious | Up to £250,000+ |
| Psychiatric damage generally | 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 |
Material Damage
Material damage is the financial losses you have incurred due to your personal data being breached, such as:
- Loss of earnings if you have needed time off work to recover from your mental harm.
- Therapy costs to recover from your mental harm.
- Relocation costs if you need to change your address due to your safety following a data breach.
However, to recover your material damage, you must provide evidence of your financial losses. So, please keep any receipts, invoices, bank statements, and payslips you have.
To learn more about how you can potentially be compensated after someone was sharing your private information without consent in the UK, please contact us today.
4.8 (466 reviews) How Legal Expert Can Support Your Data Breach Claim
Here at Legal Expert, we have years of experience in data breach claims. We have won over £80 million for our clients, including those who have had their personal information shared without consent in the UK. We strive to deliver the best service to help you as much as possible through the claims process.
If you’ve suffered because a party was sharing your private information without consent, here are some of the specific things our dedicated team of No Win No Fee data breach solicitors can do for you:
- Collect all of your evidence.
- Ensure the compensation is valued correctly and fairly.
- Communicate with the defendant so you don’t have to.
- Keep you regularly updated on the claim status.
- Explain any legal terminology you’re unfamiliar with.
- Ensure the legal time limits relating to the claim are adhered to.
Please contact us today if another party was sharing your personal information without consent. If you’re eligible to make a claim, we want to help you get the data breach compensation you deserve. You can have a free consultation with us about your situation. Alternatively, to learn more about No Win No Fee agreements, please continue reading.
Contact Legal Expert If Your Personal Information Was Involved In A Data Breach
Our expert solicitors can guide you through your claim with the help of a No Win No Fee type of agreement, called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA provides many benefits, including:
- If your case does succeed, your solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation. This is a percentage of your award, however, there is a legal cap.
- If your case is not successful you do not pay the success fee to your solicitor
Additionally, you can contact our advisors if you have any questions about what to do if you have had personal information shared without consent in the UK. To contact our team:
- Call on 0800 073 8804
- Interact with our Live Chat feature.
- Complete our online form.
Read More About Data Breach Claims
For more helpful articles, we recommend:
- Nursery data breach claims
- How to report a data breach incident
- Lost or stolen paperwork data breach claim
Or, to learn more:
- ICO: Does an organisation need my consent?
- ICO: Understanding and assessing risk in personal data breaches.
- NHS: Stress.
Contact our advisors for any more questions regarding your personal information being shared without consent in the UK.
