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DM, Data and Beyond

Deutschland, Deutschland über opt-in 

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With the spectre of edited Roll access still looming over the heads of UK marketers, the ‘Age of Opt-in’ has dawned across in Germany. The country’s data protection regulations have been amended with the explicit aim of curbing the trade in personal information between companies. There’s a three-year transition period involved as well as some exemptions (non-profit organisations, for example), but it’s an ominous sign when a Ministry of the Interior puts out a statement which says, in part: ‘The targeting of advertising is increasingly felt to be a burden, and to work against the desire for greater self-determination.’

From Nietzche’s Übermensch to über opt-in. Dunno about Denmark, but there’s certainly something rotten lurking over in the direction of the Black Forrest.

In other developments… Another day, another data breach, it seems. Brickbats to three HSBC firms (HSBC Life UK, HSBC Actuaries and Consultants, and HSBC Insurance Brokers), who last week were fined £3 million by the Financial Services Authority for losing personal information belonging to over 180,000 policyholders in - you guessed it! - the post.

To all those affected, my commiserations. I can only hope that none of the ‘lost’ information, which included unencrypted name, address, date of birth and NI numbers, has fallen into the wrong hands. And to HSBC management: Kindly remind your staff about the importance of data security, will you? Having previously ‘lost’ 370,000 customer records in April 2008, is it just me or are data protection lessons not being learned in certain quarters?

 

Published Aug 04 2009, 09:24 AM by Mark Roy

Comments

by Etoain Shrdlu
August 4, 2009 3:09 PM
 

Umm, call me an ignorant Yank, Mark, but I have a problem. First you rant about the horror — the "something rotten" horror! — of governments insisting people opt in. Then you decry HSBC's carelessly lost personal information. Methinks you are trying to eat your bile and have it too. Bon Apetit!

Crankily yours,

The New York Crank

 
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DM, Data and Beyond

Mark Roy, CEO of The REaD Group plc, looks at topical issues relevant to all UK marketers.
 

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Mark Roy

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DM, Data and Beyond

Member since: 05 Jun 2008

Last login: 23 Nov 2009

Total Posts: 18

 
 
 
 

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