Electoral roll "edited register". Experian selling information > Criminal offence?

pqrdef

followingthemoney wrote: »

I don't think this is in any way OK.

The Information Commissioner and almost all local councils agree, and would like to put a stop to the edited register. It's the government that's dragging its heels. (Amazing just how thorough a "consultation process" can be.)

May have something to do with the fact that the viability and potential saleability of the Royal Mail depends on junk mail.

savagej

followingthemoney wrote: »

I also have concerns about this and do not feel they should be allowed to sell our information. My main question though is where does the money go that they make from selling it? Whose pockets does it line?
And I always thought that you cannot sell something which you do not own?

Their shareholders I would imagine, as they are a limited company. Selling data seems to be a very profitable business especially if you know how to data mine and have some knowledge of statistics. In fact in some cases they sell a score that is a quotient of a two numbers i.e a=(b/c), as a measure of affordability for credit. What is more interesting is who is stupid enough to buy this!

Edit: they make their money from us, the data subject, the scavange for any data they can legally collect and the process it in all sorts of different ways and sell it on for all sorts of purpose from fraud prevention to marketing to selling your bank a score every month on whether or not they think you are about to commit first party fraud i.e. running up your credit cards and disappearing.

They should get into the business of weather forcasting, it would be interesting to see if they could be more accurate and precise than the met office.

chattychappy

savagej wrote: »

They should get into the business of weather forcasting, it would be interesting to see if they could be more accurate and precise than the met office.

Based on my experience of junk mail, I very much doubt it!

jamesd

Ask Experian for the source of the data supplied. Note to them that your concern is that the information is not normally provided to merchants and that you are concerned that they may have breached the Representation of the Peoples Act by providing edited electoral roll information for a prohibited purpose, direct mail marketing.

Then leave it up to them to explain themselves.

If you are not satisfied with their response your next step is to escalate the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office.