What Is a Data Privacy Lawsuit?

Invasion of privacy is the inexcusable intrusion into an individual’s personal life without consent. Privacy cases can include intruding into your seclusion at work or home, publicly disclosing private information, portraying you in a false light, or assuming your likeness or identity. Data privacy lawsuits could involve financial crimes, endangerment through doxxing, or damage to your reputation if private matters are posted online. 

Examples of common types of data privacy claims include:

• Financial:
  • Identity theft and unauthorized use of personal data
  • Sale of personal data
  • Credit card privacy violations
• Medical/Biometric:
  • HIPAA violations
  • Genetic and health app data theft
  • Biometric authentication and data misuse
• Social:
  • Social media data lawsuits
  • Image infringement and unauthorized use of photos
  • Online defamation

Other invasions of privacy can involve large amounts of people, prompting class action lawsuits. Well-known cyber security class action suits include credit bureau breaches like TransUnion and smartphone apps like TikTok. 

Mass telemarketing violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) have also drawn class action suits — TCPA exists to protect consumers from pre-recorded calls, auto-dialers, robocalls, and any unsolicited text messages or phone calls to your home or business. 

Any person on a Do Not Call Registry who receives calls that violate TCPA laws can file telemarketing harassment lawsuits with The Lyon Firm. TCPA class action lawsuits have been settled in recent years for millions of dollars, and violators have been fined thousands for each unlawful call placed.

Privacy is a basic right in the United States, and any individual or company who violates an individual’s privacy can be held liable in a lawsuit.

How Much Is a Data Privacy Lawsuit Worth?

There is no one amount that accurately describes the average data privacy lawsuit settlement or verdict. This is because each case is decided on the specifics of who is liable, who was harmed, and how much their losses cost in money, time, and suffering.

Damages that may be included in a data privacy settlement or verdict include:

• Financial and time losses: Compensation for money stolen, or for money spent to fix identity theft such as buying protection services or hiring an attorney. Also compensation for lost wages or paid time off used to file police reports, close fraudulent accounts, or appear in court to resolve these issues.
• Defamation damages: Plaintiffs have filed claims based on the loss of business and the loss of reputation. 
• Emotional pain and suffering: Individuals suffer a great deal of emotional distress in times of private uncertainty.
• Forfeit of illicit monetary gains: Legally known as “disgorgement,” this requires a party who profits from illegal acts to give up any profits they made as a result of that wrongful conduct. 
• Punitive damages: In addition to the above prevention of unjust enrichment, punitive or “punishment” fees may be charged to make illegal conduct even more unprofitable — these funds may then be awarded to you in addition to compensation for your losses.

There have been numerous data privacy cases and data breach lawsuits filed against companies that have failed to protect consumers’ confidential information.

What Kind Of Attorney Handles Invasion of Privacy?

A data breach attorney is the kind of lawyer who handles invasion of privacy cases for individuals, families, and private businesses. Privacy and data breach lawsuits arise when one person or business suffers injury or losses due to another’s negligence or wrongdoing in the digital information sphere. These are civil cases, separate from criminal law, meaning you can file a claim even if no criminal report, arrest, or conviction has been made.

A civil digital privacy lawsuit isn’t about police and prosecutors, it’s about you. Your losses are the focus of concern. Even if the company that compromised your data didn’t break the law, it may still be found responsible for what happened with your data. Any kind of data theft or personal data negligence by an individual or company that causes harm can lead to filing a privacy and data misuse lawsuit.

Joe Lyon of The Lyon Firm is a highly-rated digital data privacy lawyer who has successfully handled invasion of privacy claims resulting in six-figure settlements. Our attorneys recognize the personal nature of many of these sensitive digital privacy cases, and are ready to help you recover the damages you’re owed.