Texas - Data Leak

[Suppin]

A website have breached the American equivalent of the Data Protection Act. Everybody visiting the site was automatically logged in as me, even if they didn't have an account, giving them access to my personal details.

I have discovered that the site is based in Texas. Who do I contact to report this?

 

[quincy]

A website have breached the American equivalent of the Data Protection Act. Everybody visiting the site was automatically logged in as me, even if they didn't have an account, giving them access to my personal details.

I have discovered that the site is based in Texas. Who do I contact to report this?

From what country are you posting?

Contacting the website would be a start.

What sort of website is this that you are talking about? What sort of personal details can be accessed through your account?

 

[Zigner]

A website have breached the American equivalent of the Data Protection Act. Everybody visiting the site was automatically logged in as me, even if they didn't have an account, giving them access to my personal details.

I have discovered that the site is based in Texas. Who do I contact to report this?

Here is the relevant law: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents

Along with Quincy's questions, please also tell us what "equivalent" law that you suspect they have violated.

 

[quincy]

Here is the relevant law: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/29/contents

Along with Quincy's questions, please also tell us what "equivalent" law that you suspect they have violated.

We don't know that Suppin is in the UK, though, so we don't know if the UK's Data Protection Directive is what applies to him. He left the forum before responding to the question about his country's name.

There are over 109 countries with data protection laws in place now, many that are similar to the US Data Protection Act. Here is a link with some general information on data privacy laws throughout the world, from Privacy International: https://www.privacyinternational.org/node/44

How Suppin hopes to handle the breach of his private information will depend largely on his country of origin.

 

[Zigner]

We don't know that Suppin is in the UK, though, so we don't know if the UK's Data Protection Directive is what applies to him. He left the forum before responding to the question about his country's name.

There are over 109 countries with data protection laws in place now, many that are similar to the US Data Protection Act. Here is a link with some general information on data privacy laws throughout the world, from Privacy International: https://www.privacyinternational.org/node/44

How Suppin hopes to handle the breach of his private information will depend largely on his country of origin.

Fair enough - but I'm sticking by "UK" - we'll see

 

[quincy]

Fair enough - but I'm sticking by "UK" - we'll see

You are assuming Suppin plans to return to the forum. He left rather rapidly after being asked for his country's name.

The UK is not a bad guess, though.

 

[Suppin]

From what country are you posting?

UK.

Contacting the website would be a start.

I contacted the admin about an issue with my account a few days before the data leak, but she was more concerned with getting back at me for being busy with work when she requested a bio. Subsequent contact attempts have seen her admit to the fault, but she is otherwise ignoring me. Had she fixed the initial issue when I first reported it to her, my account wouldn't have been accessible to anybody visiting the website.

What sort of personal details can be accessed through your account?

My name and e-mail address.

please also tell us what "equivalent" law that you suspect they have violated.

I would imagine that websites in the US are not allowed to have somebody's e-mail address visible to all without their consent.

I know that I cannot do anything through a UK body, as they have told me that I will need to contact somebody in Texas. Unfortunately I do not know who.

 

[quincy]

UK.


I contacted the admin about an issue with my account a few days before the data leak, but she was more concerned with getting back at me for being busy with work when she requested a bio. Subsequent contact attempts have seen her admit to the fault, but she is otherwise ignoring me. Had she fixed the initial issue when I first reported it to her, my account wouldn't have been accessible to anybody visiting the website.


My name and e-mail address.


I would imagine that websites in the US are not allowed to have somebody's e-mail address visible to all without their consent.

I know that I cannot do anything through a UK body, as they have told me that I will need to contact somebody in Texas. Unfortunately I do not know who.

Ah. So Zigner was right.

Email addresses and names are not considered "private" information in the US.