American Express (Amex) has been handed a £90,000 fine by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for sending four million unsolicited marketing emails to customers. The ICO says it followed “just a handful” of customers complaining Amex had sent them marketing emails despite opting out. “It was a deliberate action for financial gain by the organisation,” says the ICOBetween 1 June 2018 and 21 May 2019, it found American Express Services Europe sent more than 50 million emails. Some 4,098,841 of which counted as unwanted marketing emails “designed to encourage customers to make purchases on their cards which would benefit Amex financially”, the ICO said. The ICO adds that these subscribers “had not provided adequate consent” to receive such content. FinTech Futures has reached out to AmEx directly for comment. “Deliberate action for financial gain” Amex was, over this nearly 12-month period, in breach of the UK’s Data Protection Act and its interpretation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). “It was a deliberate action for financial gain by the organisation,” the regulator determined. “Amex also did not review its marketing model following customer complaints.” Instead, Amex “rejected its customers’ complaints saying the emails were servicing emails and not marketing”, the ICO explains. The content of the emails centred around rewards-driven online shopping. As well as downloading the Amex app, and tips on how to get the best out of your Amex card. “Groundless” defence Andy Curry, ICO’s investigations head, calls the incident “a clear example of a company getting it…
UK regulator fines AmEx over sending four million unsolicited emails
UK regulator fines AmEx over sending four million unsolicited emails
