An Australian class actions law firm is taking a stand to secure compensation from Qantas for millions of customers whose data was exposed in yet another Aussie privacy breach. On June 30, the airline confirmed that cybercriminals had infiltrated an airline call centre, gaining access to a customer service platform, impacting nearly six million customers.
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers has filed a representative complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) against Qantas, alleging a violation of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
According to their website, the class action complaint “claims that Qantas violated privacy laws by failing to sufficiently safeguard the personal information of its customers”.
Principal lawyer Elizabeth O’Shea confirmed in a statement that the complaint had been filed with the OAIC. “Maurice Blackburn has initiated proceedings against Qantas over its extensive customer data breach, which reportedly impacted 5.7 million individuals,” O’Shea stated.
“While we await a response and potential action from the OAIC concerning Qantas's failure to properly protect its customers' personal information, we encourage affected Qantas customers to register with us for updates regarding the representative complaint and any compensation that may be pursued on your behalf. Registration is free and non-binding.
“We are still in the early stages of understanding the full extent of the data breach, but if you are among the millions whose personal information has been compromised, you are eligible to register with us, and we will keep you informed as the situation develops.”
How can you register for the class action complaint against Qantas?
Customers can sign up for Maurice Blackburn’s class action complaint through their website by submitting their name, phone number, email, and address. Customers must respond to an eligibility question that asks: “Do you currently, or did you formerly, share personal information with Qantas?”
The firm has assured that registration incurs no cost to customers. If the class action complaint succeeds, any fees payable to Maurice Blackburn will be deducted from — but will not exceed — any compensation you may receive.
If it is not successful, you will not be required to pay any fees.
Why couldn't the hackers just deposit a few million Qantas points into our accounts as a form of atonement for their misdeeds? I'd happily trade my soul for some complimentary first-class flights around the globe. Instead, I'm left dealing with spam calls that bombard me throughout my workday. At least this class action complaint is somewhat turning lemons into lemonade, I suppose.
Feature image: Getty
