The economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic led the federal government to create, in 2021, a social assistance program called Auxílio Brasil.The program, designed to provide financial assistance to low-income families, later became known as Bolsa Família and is today administered by the federal Executive Branch.
A worrying situation currently puts almost 4 million Auxílio Brasil beneficiaries at risk: the breach of personal data.
It is estimated that thousands of beneficiaries may have had their personal information exposed and the security of their identity put at risk. Find out now what exactly happens and how you can get compensation.
How does this data breach affect Auxílio Brasil? In September, a court ruled that Caixa Econômica Federal and the union responsible for disbursing the aid must pay 15 thousand reais to each person whose data was used inappropriately.
The decision was made in the first instance, which means that the parties still have the possibility of appealing.
What is Caixa Econômica Federal’s responsibility in this situation? The Federal Reserve commented on the case, highlighting that it appealed the court's decision, in addition to reiterating that it was not aware of any data breach for which it was responsible.
The agency also highlighted that it has the infrastructure to maintain the integrity of the database.
Can I receive remuneration from Auxílio Brasil? It is important that Auxílio Brasil beneficiaries know that not everyone will receive remuneration. Caixa Econômica will only compensate those directly harmed by the violation.
However, there are ways to check whether your data has been compromised and therefore whether you are entitled to compensation.
How do I know if my data has been compromised and can I receive compensation? Victor Hugo Pereira Gonçalves, President of Instituto Sigilo, explains the step-by-step process for such verification, which is basically based on: accessing the Instituto Sigilo website, providing the requested information, accepting the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and confirming the completed information.
Auxílio Brasil What was the objective of the data breach? The Instituto Sigilo reported in a note that the leaked data corresponded to approximately 20% of the beneficiaries of the Auxílio Brasil program.
The agency further speculated that the main objective of the breach was to sell the information to offer financial products, mainly payday loans.