Post Office has issued an apology after it revealed the names and addresses of 555 postmasters who were targeted during the Horizon scandal. The company confirmed that the personal details had been published in a document on its website and immediately referred itself to the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office). One former sub-postmaster expressed disappointment after the breach, stating that it had caused “upset, distress and anger” among the victims of the scandal.
In response to the breach, the CEO, Nick Read, apologized and referred to the error as “truly terrible.” The continued fallout from the Horizon accounting software scandal has seen hundreds of sub-postmasters prosecuted for theft between 1999 and 2015, including those who were not prosecuted but were pursued by Post Office for alleged losses in accounts.
The breach came to light on Wednesday when the Daily Mail reported that an angry response had erupted from former sub-postmasters who had not shared details with their own families and others who were still suffering from post-traumatic stress. They were now at significant risk of becoming the target of criminals who knew they had received compensation.
In 2019, the Post Office agreed to pay £58m in compensation to 555 former sub-postmasters who sued the company in 2017. Post Office has since removed the leaked document from its website and released a statement stating that it is “reviewing with urgency the right follow-up actions to take” for those who were affected by the breach and how to correct the organization’s processes.
UK’s most widespread miscarriage of justice – with more than 900 sub-postmasters prosecuted for stealing due to incorrect information from Horizon – continues to unravel. With many victims financially ruined or imprisoned falsely, Post Office’s breach of confidentiality and incompetence breaches the rights and freedoms of people. The ICO is also assessing the information provided to them and has stringent requirements from organizations which neglect to inform it about any data breaches within 72 hours of being aware of it.
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