Four million email addresses: yours for £29.95

Found on The Register on Monday, 25 October 2004
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The missive offers 4.6m email addresses on an "Unbelievable Secrets" CD for £29.95 along with bulk mail software that can send "30,000+ emails per hour".

Straun Robertson, an IT lawyer at solicitors Masons, said it was almost certain that the email addresses were not collected properly. This leaves both the seller and purchaser of the CD at risk from prosecution for offences against the Data Protection Act. Complaints would have to be made to the Information Commissioner.

It also reasonable to assume that the bulk mail package bundled with the CD would be used without the consent of those in the firing line. So users of the software are violating Privacy in Electronic Communications regulations, introduced across the European Union in recent months.

Cheques and postal orders should be sent to an address in west London. Two Register reporters checked out the address - it is a business services centre on bijou Marylebone High Street surrounded by designer shops and up-market restaurants. The boxes are available on a variety of contracts and a company worker assured us that the firm doesn't bother checking addresses given by box holders. After office hours a shutter comes down separating the boxes at the front of the store. Box-holders get a swipe card so they can open boxes outside normal working hours.

Perhaps address dealers could be stopped this way: someone buys a CD, puts the content online so everybody can check if his/her address is in it. If, quite a number of people could sue the seller for dealing with private information without being allowed.