Breach of Privacy at Computershare
November 8, 2011 |
In today’s Age there is a depressingly familiar story about financial and personal records being taken by an employee of Computershare by the simple use of downloading data onto a USB stick.
The person breaching the security was an ex employee of Computershare. The motives for the action are not clear. Breach of confidence actions against ex employees who use information belonging to the previous employers to set up in competition is based on long standing and well established equitable principles.
Where the law faces more challenges in dealing with this type of action is when not only are commercial sensitive documents removed but also masses of personal information. That is where the privacy of individuals becomes a factor. Unfortunately the common law and equity has been tentative in dealing with this issue.