Flintshire Council could face legal action over a data breach that resulted in the publication of details of dozens of citizens, a lawyer has warned
Robert Godfrey said he had been in contact with a number of people affected by leak in July, who were involved in the Local Development Plan.
The draft defines locations where up to 7,000 new homes could be built in the county over the next decade and has attracted criticism from hundreds of people who are concerned about possible pressures on local services.
When the comments were made public on the authority's website, it was soon discovered that the personal information of some, including their names and contact details, might also have been leaked.
They claim they have been harassed on social media since then.
Flintshire Council has apologised to the 66 people affected and referred the incident to the Information Commissioner's Office.
While the authority said the information watchdog had chosen not to pursue the matter, Mr Godfrey said he believed anyone affected by this “serious breach” could make a valid claim for compensation.
According to lawyer Simpson Millar: «We had residents who contacted us who are rightly concerned.»
"We are actively pursuing potential claims on behalf of individuals directly impacted by this serious breach."
"This is a clear violation of GDPR and data protection rules. The council itself admitted that it used poor security practices to protect confidential information."
«I am confident that any person whose information has been breached can have a valid claim.»
He added: "The information of some of those affected was published online and as a result they were unfairly harassed."
Encourages the affected residents to seek urgent legal advice. Flintshire Council admitted that the personal data of some individuals who participated in the Local Development Plan were exposed in a document on its website for three hours.
