Post Office Escapes Fine After Leaking Wrongfully Convicted Operators' Details

Post Office narrowly avoids £1.09m fine after leaking 502 victims' details, sparking outrage over lack of accountability.

By Content Team

Dec 4, 2025

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The Post Office avoided a potential £1.09 million fine after accidentally publishing names and addresses of 502 Horizon scandal victims online last June. The Information Commissioner's Office called the breach "entirely preventable" but issued only a reprimand, saying it didn't meet the "egregious" threshold for fining public bodies.

The leak occurred when staff mistakenly published an unredacted legal settlement document, exposing personal details of operators who had already suffered through wrongful prosecutions. Many victims hadn't even told their families about their cases.

Campaigners slammed the decision as "ludicrous," arguing it gives public organizations a green light to cause harm without real consequences. The Post Office had settled with 555 claimants for £57.75 million in 2019.

Source: The Guardian

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