Public Urged to Come Forward and Help Fight Against Illegitimate Text Pest Activity

Today, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) launched a call for victims of so-called ‘text pests’ to come forward and provide evidence of the impact illegal behaviour has had on their lives. ‘Text pests’ are individuals that use personal information provided in a business context for unsolicited romantic or sexual propositions, such as asking a customer out on a date after they order a takeaway. The ICO’s research has revealed that almost a third of 18-34-year-olds have been victims of this and two thirds of the public feel it to be morally wrong. The regulator is also contacting major customer-facing businesses across the UK to remind them of their legal responsibilities and to assess any safeguards they have in place. In addition, the ICO wants to hear first-hand from victims of ‘text pests’ and is inviting them to come forward with evidence of this unauthorised misuse of personal information.