Parenting website, Mumsnet, the fountain of knowledge that also has a penchant for celebrities and their taste in biscuits, was forced to report itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office after a data protection breach occurred between 5-7th of February 2019.
The breach affected 46 users – out of 8 million accounts – and was specific in how it affected users. If someone logged in at the exact same time, due to an upgrade error on their system, both users would be able to view each other’s private data.
The founder of Mumsnet, Justine Roberts, stated:
“You’ve every right to expect your Mumsnet account to be secure and private,” wrote Ms Roberts. “We are working urgently to discover exactly how this breach happened and to learn and improve our processes.”
The breach resulted in posting histories, personal messages, account details and email addresses being at risk during the period in question. The wider fear, especially on social media, was by parents who feared they could be identified in real life when they posted light-hearted or emotionally charged posts on child-related issues.
The ICO will undertake a full investigation and will post a full clarification of the proceedings against Mumsnet in due course.
