ICO: EXPERIAN MUST STOP SHARING DATA WITHOUT CONSENT

28.10.2020

The UK Information Commissioner's Office (“ICO”) orders the credit reference agency Experian Limited to fundamentally change the way individuals handle personal data in direct marketing services.

The enforcement notice was issued following a two-year ICO investigation into how Experian and its competitors Equifax and TransUnion use personal data for their data brokerage business for direct marketing purposes.

During the investigation, the ICO found that each credit referans agency's personal data was bought, sold and processed without people's knowledge in order to improve the products sold to business organizations, political parties and charities. The ICO stated that this form of “invisible” data processing affects millions of adults in the UK who are unaware of their data being collected and used in this way. Following the findings of the ICO, Equifax and TransUnion made improvements in direct marketing services as well as withdrawing some products and services. For this reason, the ICO does not impose any other sanctions against them.

Although Exprerian made improvements, it did not reach a sufficient level and continued to give his information directly to individuals or to use credit reference data for direct marketing purposes. For this reason, Experian has been instructed to make a radical change within nine months, otherwise it will be penalized. Experian, fails to comply with enforcement notice corresponding to a £ 20 million or 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover in fines can be faced.

You can reach the full text of the Press Release here.

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Kind regards,

Zumbul Attorneys-at-Law

info@zumbul.av.tr