This company are not actually doing anything illegal directly - the problem is that they are encouraging other companies to mass email without prior consent, and are actively encouraging people to do so, which is illegal. All they are doing is using data mining software to trawl the internet for e-mail addresses. The email addresses are not personal data in this case because they don't identify an individual. They don't anything about the mailbox owner, they only know the mailbox address, and that cannot, in isolation, be personal data. Far from not knowing about the anti-spamming law, I think they know precisely what they're doing, and know exactly how close to the edge they can expect to get away with.....
-----Original Message-----
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim Trent
Sent: 03 November 2004 14:22
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [data-protection] E-mail addresses personal data?
You could, of course, report this to TICO, but no action would be taken
unless you were personally affected. Our regulator does not (often) act
unless an individual complains about perosnal data infringements.
This email has been going round for ages. "Tom Theroux"?
-----Original Message-----
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2004 2:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [data-protection] E-mail addresses personal data?
Dear All
Just received this - obviously at least one company feels that e-mail
addresses are not personal data. I wonder if they also know anything about
the anti-spamming law?
Ian B
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