More than a third of adults aged 18 to 34 in the UK are said to have received an unwanted message after giving their personal details to a company for a service, according to a study that revealed the illegal and “terrifying” practice sharply condemned.
“People have the right to order a pizza, provide their email address for a receipt, or have their groceries delivered without being asked for sex or a date a little later,” pounded Deputy Commissioner Emily Keaney for regulatory policy at UK Information, the Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on Tuesday told The Guardian.
When companies are required to protect their customers’ personal information from malicious individuals, they often fail to protect it from their employees, who may also use it for personal gain to contact customers as they wish, the woman explained.
A practice that is proving to be “appalling” and can make the target customer feel particularly “vulnerable,” according to Hannah Smethurst, 23, who allegedly received a message on WhatsApp from an Etihad Airways contractor. like she was about to board a plane.
But it’s far from the only thing: An ICO study reportedly found that nearly a third of young adults aged 18 to 34 received unsolicited messages after sharing their personal information with a company.
According to the same study, 66% of the public would agree that it is immoral to use data shared in a commercial setting to contact an individual for personal gain, The Guardian reported.
“[Les clients] have the right to know that, when disclosed, their personal data will not be used in a way that would make them uncomfortable,” continued the Deputy Commissioner, reminding that this type of practice is illegal.