Populus Live Fiasco

Mewtwo

Hello

I wonder if anyone here is on the Populus Live panel? It is one that uses the same model as New Vista, a more well known survey panel. I ask because I am wondering if anyone else has been affected by the data fiasco.

What they have done is sent out a mass email to panel members but failed to hide the recipients list. Now everyone can see all the email addresses, hundreds of email addresses, of the panel members. This is supposed to be private.

So I am wondering - does anyone else on this forum use that site and were you affected by this?

clemmatis

I'm on that panel. I haven't had a mass email, but then, they don't send me many surveys anyway.

GetRealBabe

Hi

Yes. I have been.

This is the PopulusLive response on the forum:

Dear PopulusLive Member,


Regarding the issue below, the email sent out yesterday RE: Survey p000328 was inadvertently sent out with all recipients in view. We would like to apologise for this. We have taken this very seriously and put procedures in place so this does not happen again.. We strive to ensure your details are kept 100% confidential and can reassure you this is a one off error and will not be repeated.

Yours sincerely



The PopulusLive Team

Mewtwo

I'm bulding a legal case against them and I would like to strengthen this with others who are willing to come forward. This is just totally unnacceptable, accidental or not. I use an email address on that panel that very few people know and I wished to keep it that way. It should not be in the hands of hundreds of other people for any reason.

Avon2001

Hi, while I sympathize as mass e-mails frustrate me too, I'd question what you could accomplish with a legal case. If you want compensation, you'll have to demonstrate that you suffered quantifiable damage in some way. If you did, fair enough, however that's unclear from your post. Otherwise, what do you think will happen? Maybe the company will get a fine, will that help you? BTW any fine is likely to be proporionate to the offence and since we're only talking e-mails addresses here (rather than, say, credit card details) I can't see any heavy fine being applied particularly if the company gave a good account of itself for taking steps to ensure that this was a one off.

Personally I'd say the lesson to take away from this was to have a seperate e-mail address for surveys and the like.

GetRealBabe

Avon2001 wrote: »

Personally I'd say the lesson to take away from this was to have a seperate e-mail address for surveys and the like.

Hi

I agree. I use another email account for surveys, comps and freebies. If it gets spammed most it goes in the junk folder.

Mewtwo

Hi

The matter is one of principle, data violation should not be got away with.

littlewren

GetRealBabe wrote: »

Hi

I agree. I use another email account for surveys, comps and freebies. If it gets spammed most it goes in the junk folder.

Me too, I would never use my main e-mail address for surveys etc.

tomla

Mewtwo wrote: »

I'm bulding a legal case against them and I would like to strengthen this with others who are willing to come forward. This is just totally unnacceptable, accidental or not. I use an email address on that panel that very few people know and I wished to keep it that way. It should not be in the hands of hundreds of other people for any reason.

Don't be ridiculous, it seems PopulusLive have already sent you a list of people affected by this error, if you think about it.


Good luck with your "legal case".

shaneshaneshane

I was effected.. big deal, life goes on. All I know is it was informing me I was to get more for the survey I done than I expected. I was please enough lol