For several years, sensitive user data was freely accessible at large German online retailers. The data leak has since been closed, but those affected still have to reckon with unpleasant consequences. You are therefore entitled to compensation.
According to the magazine “Plusminus”, more than one million data records from more than 700,000 users throughout Germany were visible on the Internet for several years due to a massive security gap. The data leak affected the marketplaces of Otto, Kaufland (formerly real), Media Markt, Check24, Rakuten, Tyre24, Idealo, Hood and Crowdfox. It exposed data such as e-mail and postal addresses, order information, telephone numbers and sometimes even bank details. The gap has now been closed. However, affected customers have not yet been informed about them and can therefore not react accordingly. With the help of a data checker, users can now check for themselves whether they are affected and whether they are entitled to compensation.
The data leak did not occur in the online shops managed by Otto, Media Markt, Kaufland and Co. themselves. Rather, there was unsecured access to the Gelsenkirchen service provider “Modern Solution”. This gives third-party retailers access to the online marketplaces of Otto, Check24 and Media Markt, for example, and allows them to offer their products there.
By chance, a programmer discovered the gap in June 2021. It was then closed. Affected customers whose data could be viewed online were not informed. According to Plusminus, all online shops affected by the data leak pointed out that they “are not responsible for the marketplaces under data protection law.” Instead, the third-party dealers are the direct contractual partners of the customers. You should therefore have informed them accordingly.
The responsible data protection officers of the federal states have investigated the case and have a different opinion on it. It is a “serious and scandalous process” that affected customers are not informed about the data leak at Media Markt,Otto, Kaufland and Co. had been informed. Media lawyer Christian Solmecke sees it similarly: “Since then, no one has felt compelled to inform the affected customers. An absurdity in light of the fact that the data sets may already be traded on the dark web and sensitive data of those affected could be misused for other purposes in this way.”
In the worst case, it is feared, criminals could steal the user’s identity with the sometimes very specific data sets and thus cause great damage.
Also Read: How Customers Are Verified When Shopping Online
Use the data leak checker to check whether you are affected
For this reason, it is therefore very important that all those who have been in the marketplaces of in the past few yearsmedia market,Otto, Kaufland (or real),Check24, Rakuten, Tyre24, Idealo, Hood and Crowdfox can check for themselves whether their data has landed on the internet. The law firm Wilde, Beuger, Solmecke (WBS) has provided a data leak check for this, in which users have to enter their first and last name and their postal code. The system uses this data to check whether you are among the approximately 700,000 people affected.
Here it goes to Data leak checker from Wilde, Beuger, Solmecke
In a video, the law firm WBS explains the data leak checker and reveals how users should proceed if the result is positive:
All those who are not affected by the data leak on the Otto, Media Markt and Co. marketplaces can breathe a sigh of relief. Everyone else should act and at least change their access data and passwords. According to Solmecke, they can also be entitled to damages under Article 82 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Affected consumers can contact the law firm WBS or their own lawyer.