I have fired off a note about their service in a friendly way. So I await
their response with interest.
-----Original Message-----
From: Simon Howarth (RGC) Interim Information Governance Manager
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 February 2006 17:04
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [data-protection] BT SMS service
Well, I have just found out when my Dad last paid his phone bill, he's OK
about me checking.
I am just in the process of lodging a "complaint", there are so many issues
here that BT cannot have thought about....
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Bowden [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 February 2006 16:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [data-protection] BT SMS service
This afternoon, I, along with presumably many millions of other BT
customers, received an email announcing their wonderful new SMS Self
Service system. (http://www.bt.com/sms/)
The basic gist is, send an SMS to 64364 asking "Paid <phone number>",
and they'll reply telling you when the bill for that line was last paid.
There is nothing whatsoever to restrict this to the owner of the phone
line. You can use this to find out when anyone with a BT line last paid.
I phoned BT to complain, but neither of the two people I talked to
seemed to even be aware of the service, and certainly didn't know how to
handle enquiries about the privacy implications of it. I'm currently
waiting for someone more senior to call me back.
Surely this is a massive breach of Data Protection? I'm considering a
complaint to OFTEL, but perhaps this is one for the OIC as well?
Tony
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