Gaming app data breaches

There has been a large volume of gaming app data breaches in recent years, and it may well be a trend that’s set to continue as these kinds of apps grow in popularity.

Gaming apps are now used by millions across the world, and there are no doubt hundreds of even thousands of them to choose from worldwide. We’ve previously discussed the issues over many apps having poor security, which recently led to Facebook closing down links with hundreds of apps due to concerns.

Ultimately, people need to be careful. Not only do people need to consider who it is that’s going to be in charge of their personal information, but they also need to consider what happens if a security breach takes place.

Be wary of gaming app data breaches

It’s wise for people to consider the possibility of gaming app data breaches when they engage with such software.

People should consider things like:

• Who the developers are (i.e. whether they’re a well-known brand or not);
• What their privacy policy means in terms of the data you give to them and how it’s used and stored;
• How secure their app is (which isn’t always easy to assess yourself!);
• What other data the app may be tapping into.

The last point is particularly important. We can now “login with Facebook” and allow apps access to data from other apps or from our phones in general. This could include location data or photos and media files, and these could be made up a great deal of sensitive information.

It’s therefore important for people to understand just how far an app is going when it comes to the data it’s accessing and processing. It’s easy to just accept a privacy policy and the terms and conditions that many people don’t bother to read, but people should – at the very least – know how their data is being used.

What if a data breach takes place?

Victims of gaming app data breaches can be entitled to make a claim for compensation, and we may be able to offer No Win, No Fee representation.

A claim could arise in a number of ways, such as:

• Cyberattacks where the app isn’t secure enough to encrypt and protect data;
• Leaks caused by holes in cybersecurity or where information is accessible elsewhere when it shouldn’t be;
• Violations caused by data sharing that you were not specifically made aware of.

App developers have a duty to inform their users if any kind of data breach has taken place. If it has, they should inform you and then you may be able to take action depending on how the event has happened and what information has been exposed and / or misused.

Speak to our team today

In single gaming app data breaches, millions of people could be subjected to a serious exposure of their personal data. If this happens to you, you can access free, no-obligation advice by contacting our team today.

If we think that there’s a case to make, you could be entitled to receive compensation for any distress or financial loss that has been caused. One of the first things we must look at is whether the developers have the money or insurance to be able to meet claims, as there can be problems if they don’t; especially when millions can be affected by one single breach event.

Data breaches in 2019

Data breaches and encryption