What's so bad about selling a customer database?

[K.I.L.E.R]

I suggested to the board members in our company that we should sell our company database to other corporations/businesses because we could make a fair bit of money.

I was told that because of privacy issues that we can't do this.
Can someone tell me why this is the case?
Why shouldn't we be able to make money due to some stupid laws on privacy?
Can someone tell me if there is a we can sell other people's details?

 

[Martin Eddy]

The other way you might like to look at it is, do you want your competitors to be able to buy that database and take sales away from your company?

 

[hey69]

they should fire you

 

[_xxx_]

Ahem...

I like being funny.

 

[Mummy]

Put it on emule.

 

[nutball]

Give it ten years and you'll be able to answer your own question.

 

[K.I.L.E.R]

We don't have any competitors in our area and companies such as McDonalds, etc... will benefit from our data.

The other way you might like to look at it is, do you want your competitors to be able to buy that database and take sales away from your company?

 

[Diplo]

Why doesn't Dave sell Killer's email address to some viagra spammers to make some extra cash?

 

[K.I.L.E.R]

He's not allowed and I don't want spam in my inbox.
What's your point?

Why doesn't Dave sell Killer's email address to some viagra spammers to make some extra cash?

 

[Diplo]

What's your point?

You're a bright lad, I'm sure you can figure it out...

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

I suggested to the board members in our company that we should sell our company database to other corporations/businesses because we could make a fair bit of money.

I was told that because of privacy issues that we can't do this.
Can someone tell me why this is the case?
Why shouldn't we be able to make money due to some stupid laws on privacy?
Can someone tell me if there is a we can sell other people's details?

For a start, it would probably violate some European Privacy Directive somewhere.

Why do you think any company would spend money to get all our names? So they could make money out of us. How do you suppose they would do that? Try to sell us things, phone us up, sell our names and emails to other companies who would do who knows what with them, etc.

Do you really want B3D to be known as a site that sells your email address to spammers and other scum of the internet?

Think, man, think!

 

[K.I.L.E.R]

McDonalds and stores like it don't contact people over the phone or are intrusive to other people.
At least not down here in Australia.

It's different than sending someone's e-mail address to people who would use it to bother others.

Is it legal for McDonalds to sell people's contact details if McDonalds knows that it will result in people being bothered? I don't think that would be legal and it's certainly not what I want.

 

[Diplo]

For a start, it would probably violate some European Privacy Directive somewhere.

In the UK, at least, it would be a direct violation of the Data Protection Act (1998) to sell on personal information to a third party without the prior consent of that party. Doing so without consent is illegal.

Can databases be sold?
Yes. If an organisation first obtains information from individuals with the intention of selling the database as a commercial asset, individuals should be informed how their information is going to be used, including that it will be sold.

Normally personal information in a database should not be sold if the individuals have not been told originally that their information could be passed on to other organisations.
However, where a business is insolvent, bankrupt, being closed down or sold, the Act will not prevent the sale of a database containing the details of individual customers, providing certain requirements are met.

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Is it legal for McDonalds to sell people's contact details if McDonalds knows that it will result in people being bothered? I don't think that would be legal and it's certainly not what I want.

The problem is that once your details are out there, they are to an extent out of your control. You are relying on laws, on people not selling your data on, relying on them not to be hacked or have a screwup at the offline storage, or more importantly that someone doesn't decide to ignore all the laws. Someone could "legally" buy data and then use it for identity fraud. They could sell it on to other companies for "legitimate" purposes and then you end up getting loads of calls trying to sell you phones services, timeshares or whatever.

Why do you think when you fill in a warrenty form, they want to know everything about you and your life and your family? Because they are going to sell your details to a marketing firm who will then use you to try and sell the products and services of their customers.