Class-action lawsuits prepared in Lithuania after massive data theft from Registers Centre

Two months after the massive data breach at Lithuania's State Enterprise Centre of Registers, a significant portion of the population remains unaware or indifferent to whether their personal information was compromised. Between January and April, a vast amount of data, including names, personal identification codes, and property addresses, was stolen.

“

They will call you, you will hear your name, they will tell you your address, your date of birth. Such a call can be much more convincing than a usual one.

Legal action is now underway, with lawyers preparing class-action lawsuits against the state. One group, led by "HubLegal" lawyer Paulius Galubickas, has gathered about a thousand affected individuals and aims to file its lawsuit this autumn. This group is seeking compensation ranging from several thousand to 5,000-6,000 euros per person, though they acknowledge the need to establish a uniform claim for all participants.

Another group of over 100 individuals is also being assembled by lawyer Antanas Jonikaitis, who is also preparing a lawsuit. He warns that the stolen data provides a "good bait" for fraudsters, enabling them to conduct more convincing phishing attacks by using victims' names, addresses, and birth dates.

“

People's claims are different - they range from a few thousand to 5-6 thousand euros. However, we will look for a common denominator, because this is a common complaint, so everyone's claim will have to be the same.

Legal experts are uncertain about the potential compensation amounts, citing European cases where payouts range from tens to thousands of euros depending on the volume of stolen data. Unlike the United States, Lithuania's legal system requires individuals to prove both material and moral damages, a process that could be complicated for a large class-action suit. Lawyers emphasize that the state should be held responsible for the data theft and the inadequate security measures at state institutions.

“

This means that each person must prove not only material but also moral damage. This greatly complicates the process. Imagine if a thousand people filed a class action lawsuit - the court would have to examine each person's circumstances.