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How small oversights spiral into million-dollar problems
Small oversights when it comes to data compliance can very easily escalate into big problems. A chain reaction of legal costs, fines, and operational damage, not to mention customer trust, can all impact a business if data compliance isn’t adhered to. These common oversights include:
- Inadequate data quality
- Human error
- Weak access controls
- Improper data deletion
A compliance oversight will also very rarely go without a single isolated cost. The expenses will rapidly escalate and, as such, cause more damage.
From financial damage to operational and reputational damage, it’s imperative to be proactive with data compliance.
Real-world examples of compliance failures
What are some of the real-world examples of compliance failures when it comes to data compliance? Here are some that have happened in recent years, many of which are quite significant in their reputation on the market.
TikTok GDPR fine
A big platform like TikTok was one of the many caught out and fined for GDPR breaches. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined TikTok a whopping €530 million for transferring data to China without adequate protection and therefore violating GDPR.
Marks and Spencer
Marks and Spencer in the UK was another to fall victim to hackers in 2025, despite being a huge corporation. Hackers gained access to 9.4 million customer records by compromising a contractor’s credentials. As such, it compromised customer data, including their addresses, names, and order history.
Uber
Uber failed in its efforts to report a data breach that exposed around 57 million users and drivers. Instead, it paid hackers to delete the data and keep quiet, which was a violation of data protection.
Capital One
Exposing the personal data of 100 million customers, Capital One suffered a major breach due to a misconfigured cloud server.
The proactive steps every business can take now
It’s important that every business makes a proactive effort to keep the business safe in regard to data compliance. There are a number of tips to help you do this, should you need to improve your data compliance this year.
Using the right platforms is important, especially when it comes to security. Platforms like eDiscovery Solutions are some of the best when you want to keep your data protected but want to manage data more efficiently.
Establishing clear accountability for anyone responsible and allowing breaches to occur, whether intentional or by mistake, needs to happen. With that being said, providing education and ongoing training for employees is helpful when it comes to tackling data compliance and avoiding data breaches or hackers.
It’s also worthwhile to maintain up-to-date policies and documentation that provide incident response plans, too. Use these tips to help keep your business compliant with data privacy laws and regulations both in your own country and any in which you operate in for 2025.
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