British officials mistakenly revealed the addresses of more than a thousand celebrities and notable figures who received honors from Queen Elizabeth II, including Elton John, Olivia Newton-John, Roger Taylor (Queen drummer), and Gary Lightbody (Queen singer). ).
Those affected include many prominent politicians, diplomats, athletes and even defense and public security agents, as well as Oscar-winning film directors, such as Sam Mendes (American Beauty) and Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave).
The traditional New Year 2020 honors list, which awards titles such as Knight or Dame of the British Empire, included the full addresses with the number and postcode of the recipients, and remained posted on the official government website for more than an hour on Friday night, without knowing how many times it had been downloaded by users. .
“The information was removed as quickly as possible. We apologize to everyone involved, and we are investigating how this happened.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “We have reported the incident to the Information Commission Offices (ICO) and are contacting everyone directly affected.”
Last May, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) increased the penalties that regulators such as the ICO can impose for such breaches.
Britons, who are elected twice a year (at Christmas and in June, on Queen Elizabeth’s birthday), are known for their merit, service and courage.
Elton John, who already held the titles of Sir and MBE, has now added a Companion of Honours.
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