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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Worldwide!
    Posts
    281

    DPA and Customer Privacy on WHT

    Hey,

    I've been a member for quite some time on WHT and frequently I see someone post in the Web Hosting forum about their frustrations with certain web hosting companies.

    What I keep seeing and have always thought not to be right, is the Web Hosting company not only coming back to the customer to try to obtain information to resolve the issue and/or defend their company, but they also expose details for the failings specific to the customer. For example, there is a thread at the moment about a customer complaining about a fraudulent marker against their order, the hosting company got back in touch, defended themselves with information public on their website (fine), then started to discuss why that customers transaction had been declined and discussing that customers location for their IP addresses and their billing address, all of which is personal to the customer.

    In the UK, this would be classed a Data Protection Breach I'm sure, or are web hosts putting in terms that if a customer brings to the public light any issues they waiver their privacy rights?

    Would be interested to hear others views on this, myself personally, I'm very hot on customer privacy and data protection because thats the line of business I am in, but I keep seeing companies flout what I would deem professional practise.. but I could just be being overzealous!
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    1,887
    I have to agree with you, it's incredibly unprofessional for any company to respond in that way.
    By all means, outline the reasons in public, but there's no need for the detail, the moderation team can always check the facts off-forum if necessary.

    Far too many customers come straight to WHT the second that they have a problem. However, it's important to keep one's cool whilst dealing with the situation, rash decisions can easily reflect badly on the companies involved.

    The best way for any company to deal with these issues is through their own support channels, whether that be sending the customer an e-mail, updating the ticket, or picking up the phone and calling them.

    I'm not sure how far you can opt-out of the DPA, regardless of what the contract says, in the UK, the law supercedes any contract, and any illegal conditions render the entire thing null & void. I can't see anything in the DPA that would allow a company to release protected data into the public domain. IANAL though!

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