Refinitiv agreed on Monday to remove profiles of two children that it had included in its due diligence database World-Check on the basis that their grandparents were “Politically Exposed Persons”. The settlement was approved by Mr Justice Sheldon on the day that the week-long trial between the parties had been due to commence. Approval was required as the settlement involved children.
The High Court claim was brought by the two claimants (with their respective mothers acting as their litigation friends) against Refinitiv on data protection grounds. The claim alleged that the inclusion of their profiles on World-Check as PEP-Relatives, and the manner in which Refinitiv had been processing their personal data, was in breach of Articles 5, 14, 15, 22 and 25 of the UK GDPR. Under the settlement, Refinitiv has agreed to delete the profiles and not to label or identify the claimants as PEPs or relatives of PEPs as a result of their relationships with their grandparents.
Sara Mansoori KC and Ian Helme represented the Claimants, instructed by Fieldfisher.
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