RSPA uses data to "wealth" rate donors and hound them

Another example of companies not playing fair or by the rules but instead abusing the information we, the public, entrust to them expecting honourable treatment and fair play.

It has transpired the RSPCA has been paying investigators to assess how much donors might leave in wills and using this information to determine the "wealth" quota of donors

In an article by the Daily Mail they say that the RSPCA "does not tell supporters their personal data is being used to give them a wealth rating" and this is the core issue.

The Data Protection Act 1998 gives us all protection from our personal information being abused. It contains 8 principles which companies should abide by.

From this event it is evident that the RSPCA is not playing by these rules and really ought to be investigated. One of the principles says that information will be collected for one or more specific purposes. The purpose of filling out a donation form is ... well to donate money to a charity one believes in. Not to be profiled and hounded.

Further the conditions for RSPCA or anybody else on their behalf processing personal information is based on consent which should be clear and informed consent. Again this does not appear to be the case and certainly if I was asked to consent to my data given in good faith to be used to "wealth" profile me I would immediately object and indeed ask them to remove my details immediately.

The article cites a case of Mr Samual Rae, an 87 year old, who donated after the death of his wife. He was subsequently hounded and his data given to third party companies three times.

The most appalling thing is that the RSPCA, an organisation you would think had good ethics, went out of their way to make it difficult for Mr Rae to decline his data being passed to third parties. The check box declining sharing is so small that it could hardly be seen on the donation form.

We need the ICO to make an example of this charity because their practices are deplorable in so many ways.

We, the public, own our personal information and we must be asked in clear terms for our data to be passed on. We must also be told clearly why the information is being collected.

But above all we should expect as standard practice companies will do everything they can to protect our information and use it fairly.

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