UK affiliates face fines over misuse of personal data
Information Commissioner's Office investigating how egaming affiliates obtain personal details as part of wider crackdown on spam texts
Egaming affiliates could face fines of up to £500,000 as part of an investigation by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) into the use of personal data by the industry.
The non-departmental public body today said it was looking into the practices of more than 400 companies and the ways they use personal details to promote egaming sites.
The ICO has written to a number of affiliates to find out how they obtained and are using personal data for marketing texts following reports of spam texts from consumers.
“Companies must comply with the law when using people’s personal information,” David Clancy, ICO anti-spam investigations manager, said.
“Not knowing the law or trying to pass the buck to another company in the chain is no excuse.
“The public expect firms to be accountable for how they obtain and use personal data when marketing by phone, email or text.
“Fail to be accountable and you could be breaking the law, risking ICO enforcement action and the future of your business.”
The ICO said failure to comply with the law would result in enforcement action, including a fine of up to £500,000, and would demand information to be provided if responses were not received.
According to the regulator, its responsibilities are set out in the Data Protection Act 1998, the Freedom of Information Act 200, Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.