MyBB Community Forums

It seems the MyBB staff have begun closing threads selling databases Good call guys Don't want to be sued for DPA breach

I personally think it's dumb. You can't get the users passwords. Can't do much with e-mail and dob..

You.......Ratbag.......

Well on the positive side I sold my database before any RatBags started Ratting!!

Errrrm, i thought you are allowed to as long as the intended use was the original use.

Depends. The under the DPA, you can only give out data to other people/organizations if you have the users consent. Which is hard om a forum :s

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(2010-11-04, 06:31 PM)Dialatic Wrote: [ -> ]I personally think it's dumb. You can't get the users passwords. Can't do much with e-mail and dob..

How old are you? Where do you live? If youlive in the UK and you're over 18 you can request all your data from the government - you'll be surprised how much they have on you.

If you have a loyalty card its scary what they can do and have on you. For example, they know - obviously - what you have bought, as well as where you live. Therefore using something as simple as google maps, they can look at the area in which you live (as postcodes are generally limited to 1 street). If you live in an expensive area with big houses, they might send you one type of marketing material, whereas if you live in a cheaper area, they will send you another. Also, they look for trends in your spending. If you buy some items and another family of similar background buys similar ones, they will advertise to you what they think you will most likely buy. Also, if you buy things like pencil cases and notepads, they assume you have children/teens in the house. Then if you buy spaghetti shapes they can narrow it down to a child. Then they look at the volume of each thing you're buying. If you buy 2 pencil cases you probably have 2 children. Then they can target you for marketing.

Also, on loyalty card signups they usually have an "Opt-out" of marketing not an "opt-in" as psychologically, ticking a box makes you think you are signing up for something so most users dont tick. Therefore they may send you any material they like

Something as small as a postcode and email for some companies is enough to get you spam through the post

(2010-11-04, 09:52 PM)Tommyk Wrote: [ -> ]Depends. The under the DPA, you can only give out data to other people/organizations if you have the users consent. Which is hard om a forum :s

Add to you registration : I have the right to sell your information.

I'm still researching the law with respect to this so wait until I have done that and formally published the policy changes and additions before discussing this. Like most of our policies, it isn't entirely due to laws either, there are also other reasons we have for this.

Our main concerns are:

• The legal aspect
  
• The fact that someone can sell a database multiple times
  
• I certainly don't want my email address, DOB (on some sites) and private PM records given to someone to use in circumstances that might be very different to those under which I willfully gave these details in the first place