ICO: Gambling addicts “may have been targeted” via browsing history
The Information Commissioner’s Office gives brief update into ongoing investigation as it communicates concerns to major UK companies from multiple sectors
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has claimed gambling addicts are one group which may have been targeted with related offers based on their browsing history.
Providing an update on an ongoing investigation into data protection law, the ICO’s executive director of regulatory risk Stephen Almond pointed towards shortcomings from operators in the market.
The ICO has written to companies across various sectors in the UK setting out its concerns, concerns which relate to websites not giving users “fair choices over whether or not to be tracked for personalised advertising”.
The companies identified, which the ICO said run “many of the UK’s most visited websites”, have 30 days to comply with existing regulations, with the threat of enforcement action looming.
The public body did not name any companies in its brief update but confirmed that a follow up update in January will include details of any firms that have not readily addressed the ICO’s concerns.
Almond said: “We’ve all been surprised to see adverts online that seem designed specifically for us – an ad for a hotel when you’ve just booked a flight abroad, for instance. Our research shows that many people are concerned about companies using their personal information to target them with ads without their consent.
“Gambling addicts may be targeted with betting offers based on their browsing record, women may be targeted with distressing baby adverts shortly after miscarriage and someone exploring their sexuality may be presented with ads that disclose their sexual orientation.
“Many of the biggest websites have got this right. We’re giving companies that haven’t managed to do it yet a clear choice: make the changes now, or face the consequences.”
Almond’s comments come almost two years after Clean Up Gambling alleged that customers’ gambling data was being shared with third parties.
The report, led by Cracked Labs, specifically named Sky Betting and Gaming in its research.
However, at the time, Sky Betting and Gaming fundamentally refuted the claims, stating that it did not and does not permit access to customers’ financial information via third parties.
Reacting to the latest update from the ICO, Clean Up Gambling director Matt Zarb-Cousin remarked: “What we found in the course of our research was extensive user profiling without consent, coupled with marketing outputs intended to induce gambling from people clearly addicted.
“It’s up to the ICO’s investigation to determine whether or not this amounted to the deliberate targeting of gambling addicts, and to address any breaches of data law,” he added.