UK law firm brings data protection representative action against Google

Law firm, Mishcon de Reya, is bringing a representative action against Google’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) subsidiary, DeepMind Technologies, over breach of data protection laws. DeepMind had a data-sharing arrangement with the Royal Free London National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, which the law firm claims breached data protection law as confidential medical records of 1.6 million people were obtained by Google and DeepMind Technologies without the individuals’ knowledge or consent.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), in 2017, did not fine the NHS trust but asked it to sign an undertaking to make changes to the way it handled personal data.

The case is being led by Mishcon Partner, Ben Lasserson, who said: "This important claim should help to answer fundamental questions about the handling of sensitive personal data and special category data.”

"It comes at a time of heightened public interest and understandable concern over who has access to people's personal data and medical records and how this access is managed."

See: Mishcon de Reya - Confidential medical records at the centre of a new claim against Google

See also an article about a group litigation order against BA in PL&B UK Report, September 2021 - BA settles – a trend for future group litigation cases?