By Tony Winterburn • Published: 24 May 2020 • 17:37
International law firm PGMBM said it has issued a class action claim in the High Court of London with a potential liability of £18 billion, calculations reveal customers may be entitled to compensation of around £2,000 each.
The move follows the budget airline’s announcement it had been the subject of a “highly sophisticated cyber-attack” on May 19 in which the email addresses and travel details of around nine million customers were accessed as well as the credit card details of 2,208 customers.
PGMBM said that although the airline had announced the breach on May 19, it actually occurred four months earlier, in January, and said easyJet had failed to notify its customers until now.
PGMBM said it was taking the action under Article 82 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR), which gives customers the right to compensation for inconvenience, distress, annoyance, and loss of control of their personal data.
The firm is seeking a group litigation order and urging all those affected to come forward and join the claim for compensation. Managing partner Tom Goodhead said: “This is a monumental data breach and a terrible failure of responsibility that has a serious impact on easyJet’s customers.
“This is personal information that we trust companies with, and customers rightly expect that every effort is made to protect their privacy. Unfortunately, EasyJet has leaked sensitive personal information of nine million customers from all around the world.”
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews
Clearly it is not in the public interest that this case goes ahead.
I totally agree. The data wasn’t leaked, it was hacked so they should be filing a lawsuit against the hacker
Great! The lawyers get their money, the customers affected get £2000 each , the airline collapses and no one gets any more cheap flights. As long as the lawyers get their money though they are happy
Am also effected, but there is nothing to gain from this.i have been receiving spam for years. My data has been spread multiple times around the net. Visa and Mastercard sell details to telemarketers.. Nothing is lost…just a shame.. This lawsuit goes ahead, easyjet will collapse. No one gets a penny and the company closes, employees out of jobs and our travel fi finished. All for 2000 quid,most of that the lawyer and tax man will end up with anyway..
I am one of the people affected from the data breach
Also notified that my data was seen, my reward if you win; More expensive air fares or, maybe, no airline. Result????? Just move on.
Yes, receive 2 grand & pay taxes. Lawyer makes a mint, airline goes bust and leave us to the mercy of Ryanair! Just delete the junk mail to protect yourselves and move on.
so those affected have to suffer for the sake of those not affected just because they dont want airline to go bust = selfish. Go full steam ahead and get the compo they deserve!
Actually many people leaving comments have been affected. I have, however the consequences are too great. Most airlines are on the brink of bankruptcy due to the coronavirus, very few will survive if we add a law suit to the mixture easy jet will not stand a chance. Less airlines equals less competition for those airlines that managed to survive meaning hire flight prices. Just the law firm will benefit. Those 2k ( if you ever get a penny because the law firm will pay itself first)will cost you so much more on the long term.
Customers affected might get £2k each and law firm £6k per each customer… Something doesn’t adds up!
Not considering the fact, we might lose low cost flying…
Ź
I am one of the people affected by the data breach
My data was affected but i oppose this legal action. Money grabbing prolicitors causing trouble again. Did anyone notice the airline industry is on it’s knees.
I am one of those customers affected
Did anyone employed at or connected to this lawsuit trade easyjet shares in the run up to the announcement of this action?
I’ve been a ‘victim’ but don’t want the company to go bust and certainly don’t want greedy lawyers benefiting from it. Forget it and let them try to sort out their refunds.
Typical corporate lawyers the rich get richer and we will get higher air fares
I got a email off easyjet stating my account had been hacked but no card details were taken so I’m not arsed about it
No airline has cared a jot about passengers for years and they don’t care now, but are begging for our help and the taxpayers’ support. If this one goes bust, a better one will take it’s place and may learn a valuable lesson. Cheap flights will still be around when the pandemic is over. Treat passengers better and spend money looking after data rather than paying shareholders first!
A data breach will attire so many customers who will try to get the money anyway. I am one of them being a loyal customer since 2012 I don’t appreciate that a so relevant company could not find a way to protect themselves from cyberattacks.
I have been affected
The comments, with the exception of one, display a very pragmatic and very refreshing approach. Yes, Easyjet should not have sat on this for several months, but there is absolutely nothing to be gained by encouraging rapacious lawyers to bring this action. Potentially it could destroy the airline, and that would be extremely sad, particularly in the current Covid 19 pandemic / economic environment, when so many businesses are fighting to survive As several have already pointed out the only significant winners would be the legal firms. It is sad to see this compensation culture and what’s in it for me attiude gaining traction in the UK. it is something l associate more with U.S. mores and should be strongly resisted. Easyjet have informed me that my data was hacked, so l do have a personal interest. I also feel adds weight to the comments l have made.
I have been affected don’t want compensation .
I dont think anyone has actually lost out no money has been taken. Just getting spam emails but what’s new. Dont want Easyjet to go bust. So much better than Ryan air Only the greedy lawyers will get rich
Everyone who signed up for the class action should withdraw immediately. their short-term greed will not help anybody else in the long-term and could well put easyJet out of business. The only big winners will be the lawyers who will fill their pockets at everybody else’s expense.
I have been more than satisfied with the service and value for money with Easyjet. This legal challenge reeks of lawyers looking for an opportunity and then destroying the airline without a £0.01 once all the Bill’s are cleared. It is absolute villany and commercial vandalism. And, using a virtually defunct EU catch-all Law adds insult to injury.
Let’s just move on.. seriously.. get a life you money grabbers.. industry is on its knees, how does taking them to court help anybody but the greedy lawyers.. and yes.. i was affected too.
I don’t trust lawyers. They only do things like this to benefit themselves. If Easy Jet got hacked then it’s not their fault. As a customer of Easy Jet I fully support them. If people have been personally affected financially then that another matter. But just moaning about personal information is not worth bankrupting a great airline.
I have been one of those whose data has been hacked. I wouldn’t want any compensation at the cost of Easy Jet going bust. They are a great airline based in our local airport. Don’t let the legal firms get a penny. Keep East Jet flying
My data was stolen too.
We were supposed to be going away in August, but we’ve reluctantly decided not to go, with the data breach being the final straw (I won’t relax on holiday if I know that some crims know my house will be empty for a week in August).
I’ve written to easyjet to say that I want to change my flights free of charge, be issued with a voucher to book another time OR get a full refund in lieu of any compensation. I think that’s reasonable, but if they take the biscuit and refuse to refund me, I will join the class action.
I am one of the affected, information hacked by pirates is probably already on the internet. So why woulf you want to destroy an airline which garantee us good cheap fairs
No point taking Easyjet to task. All it will do is:- A) Make the lawyers richer B) The end to reasonable holiday travel
I’ve had the email from easyJet saying they have my email address, name, departure date a destination etc.
Am I bothered? Not in the slightest, I use a separate email for the likes of easyJet etc. They got no real personal information that could be of use to anyone. So as far as I’m concerned, the lawyers can get lost. It’s about time this type of thing was stopped. I can’t abide ambulance chasing lawyers.
Well for starters, what’s with all the “I was infected” and no further statement. The only thing you have been infected by is corona virus. Also you can only sue some one for someThing like 60 percent of there net worth ans easyjet cant be worth more then 5 billion so if you have shares like I do, get ready to sell, but not before it to rise after covid. If they were not following regulations is the key factor hear. And if they were then there nothing that could off been done and. What had happen has happened.
I have been hacked as well not sure if they have my card details easyJet say not but hard to believe them but don’t want them to go out of business as use them a lot.
It seems to me that the world is full of unbelievably greedy lawyers. Their only concern is self profit. Well maybe things will be a whole lot different when this terrible lockdown is finally over. Good riddance
I was one of the people also, if it was a genuine hack eazyjet should not have to pay anything. It’s people wanting money for nothing. I have have always travelled with them and will continue to support them.
Do these law suits ever pay anything out? The only winners are the lawyers, they always get paid.
I have been affected ,but do not want Easy jet to go bust as we all lose out then.
Maybe Easyjet should be one step ahead of greedy lawyers and compensate automatically to those affected, not the £2000, but something like a travel credit ?
I received the email from easyjet stating the breach. And said that nothing serious shared. It’s just another bunch of amberlance chacers who can’t get ppi money any more so find anything to rip people off with just like the pea men in benidorm they trick people into tacking part promise the world and take it all. Probably employed the hackers to start with. They need to be stopped. The airlines are in enough trouble with this covid crap
I’ve been affected too and don’t want compensation either. Typical for greedy solicitors to make a quick buck and to try and profit from a company already trying to survive this crisis. Pathetic. I hope it gets kicked out of court.
Why attack businesses as they are on their knees with this pandemic, Lawyers are too greedy just wanna get rich. My data was affected and don’t wanna see this lawsuit go ahead , wise up and sue people who deserve to be sued
That’s so disgusting of this law firm in trying to damage an airline even more in these currently very challenging times for the airline industry. If this company goes under many jobs will be lost. The people responsible are the hackers.
PGMBM just trying to take advantage. This is the current world culture, where people is trying to draw some incomes without doing nothing where the mankind could benefit. I´m one of the customers that had my data registered during the attack and under no circumstances i´m gonna feed the greedy spider. Sorry, know in another door.
Save E7sy Jet, make it best UK cheap airline, it’s FOR people, limit flights to three return a year per customer. Do same with all cheap airlines. Fish and Peace.
I am one of those customers affected, however, there is more to loose. Essy jet will go bust and flights will become more expensive, those 2k will be worth noting. The only one who benefits is the law firm. Some people just don’t seem to get it. This law suit is not good for anyone.
We most certainly do not want airline to go bust and not at all concerned about data breach. Maybe we should look to sue China instead.
How do you know if u was affected all my account was cleared
I was affected by this “leak to a hacker” even got email from easyjet to say so but I don’t want the company to go bust. It wasn’t their fault they got hacked many accounts do these days. Leave it and move on!!! Please!!!
I concur with most people. Greedy lawyers, who commissioned them to bring this case? Will they publicly divulge those names?? Also publish the names of all the partners in this law firm!! I doubt any names will be forthcoming!! Maybe the Ryanair owner trying to sink the competition??!! If this proceeds, the consumer as usual will be the loser. How many data breaches have there been involving government agencies or their quangos, do you see the lawyers rushing in there??!! D. Caister
What a stretch from greedy lawyers lmaooo our data has always been hacked from various websites anyway. Just stay away from suspicious email and turn on two factors authentication.
Sophisticated and planned hack. Forget you credit card info – just put it away for 12 months and use/get another. Bank info unlikely so why spend so much time, effort and money on the hack- fun? NO – information – they know your travel dates – how long for and your home address! Worth a large amount of money to the local villains – they KNOW when you are away and Where. We are the losers – as usual. Information is ££s.
I received notification my details were hacked, and being currently unemployed £2k would be very useful, but l’d prefer if the airline tightened its security, and continued to offer well-priced fares, good service and all those lovely people at the airline, who are going through a bad enough time as it is already, remained employed with no lawsuit. I still have flights booked with them and would like to ensure they fulfil their contract, although l’ve no intention of flying whilst the ridiculous regulation to wear a mask is in place, which may mean I’ll need to change my flights a few times. Flying for me is part of the overall enjoyment of the holiday experience, and wearing an irritable mask from airport entry to exit does not offer this
Comments are closed.
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.