2018’s worst UK consumer protection breaches
9 Jan 2019
Consumer protection breaches can be rife, with huge companies such as Facebook and British Airways being affected by threats to their customer's details.
As the new year dawns, it becomes the perfect time to look back and reflect on the previous year’s various highs and lows. Some companies had a more turbulent time than others in 2018, with a big issue being consumer protection breaches.Consumer protection breaches are a serious issue for both the company and the consumers, making their occurrence one of the worst things that can happen to a company. These mistakes, however, are avoidable if you play by the book. For now, though, let’s review a couple of the biggest UK-based consumer protection breaches of 2018.
The UK-based online fashion retailer, Boohoo, found itself in hot water this year after it ran a series of time-limited advertisements. From August to November, there were a number of promotions that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed ‘misleading’.These advertisements were sales that were hosted on Boohoo’s website, accompanied by a countdown timer. However, there was no consequence when the timer ran out as it would just reset.By doing this, Boohoo put pressure on the consumer to swiftly make a purchase under the implication that these offers were time-limited when in reality they were not. So if you’re thinking of adding a deadline to your offers, stick to it! Pushy sales could land you in hot water.
2018 is certainly a year in the running for the worst offender when it comes to data breaches, with a staggering number of colossal companies being affected. In most cases, sensitive information about users and consumers was leaked to those responsible for the data breaches.Some of those affected include ancestry site MyHeritage, social media forum Reddit, and airline company British Airways. Perhaps most notable of all was the Facebook data breach where up to 90 million Facebook user accounts were exposed thanks to a security breach, with Facebook’s own founder Mark Zuckerberg being affected by it too.Hacks, up to a certain point, are unfortunately inevitable as cybercriminals become more intelligent. However, it is important to take as many precautions as you can as a business owner to ensure that your customer details are safe.
Boohoo breaks the rules of advertising
The UK-based online fashion retailer, Boohoo, found itself in hot water this year after it ran a series of time-limited advertisements. From August to November, there were a number of promotions that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed ‘misleading’.These advertisements were sales that were hosted on Boohoo’s website, accompanied by a countdown timer. However, there was no consequence when the timer ran out as it would just reset.By doing this, Boohoo put pressure on the consumer to swiftly make a purchase under the implication that these offers were time-limited when in reality they were not. So if you’re thinking of adding a deadline to your offers, stick to it! Pushy sales could land you in hot water.Data breaches affecting the biggest of companies, including Facebook
2018 is certainly a year in the running for the worst offender when it comes to data breaches, with a staggering number of colossal companies being affected. In most cases, sensitive information about users and consumers was leaked to those responsible for the data breaches.Some of those affected include ancestry site MyHeritage, social media forum Reddit, and airline company British Airways. Perhaps most notable of all was the Facebook data breach where up to 90 million Facebook user accounts were exposed thanks to a security breach, with Facebook’s own founder Mark Zuckerberg being affected by it too.Hacks, up to a certain point, are unfortunately inevitable as cybercriminals become more intelligent. However, it is important to take as many precautions as you can as a business owner to ensure that your customer details are safe.