If you’re a HelloFresh customer, you’ll likely receive fewer marketing emails and texts due to the fine imposed by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Key Points
- Customers were bombarded with unwanted emails and texts.
- HelloFresh fined £140,000 for sending 80 million spam messages.
- ICO found HelloFresh’s opt-in processes were misleading and confusing.
- Case highlights the importance of data protection and obtaining informed consent.
Recipe kit delivery service HelloFresh has been slapped with a hefty £140,000 fine by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for bombarding customers with a staggering 80 million spam messages.
The fine follows a year-long investigation triggered by a flood of complaints from customers who were fed up with the constant barrage of unwanted marketing emails and texts.
The ICO found that HelloFresh’s marketing practices were a clear violation of UK data protection regulations. Between August 2022 and February 2023, the company sent out a mind-boggling 79 million emails and 1 million text messages without obtaining proper consent from its customers. This included bombarding customers who had signed up for the service solely to receive recipe kits, with irrelevant offers and promotions.
“This was a clear case of a company putting its own commercial interests ahead of the privacy and rights of its customers,” said Andy Curry, Head of Investigations at the ICO. “Customers were not given a clear choice about receiving marketing messages, and many were left feeling harassed and frustrated by the constant bombardment.”
The ICO’s investigation revealed that HelloFresh’s opt-in processes were designed to be confusing and misleading. Customers were often pre-checked into marketing lists without their knowledge, and the wording of opt-in boxes was unclear, making it difficult for customers to understand what they were agreeing to.
“We take our data protection obligations very seriously and have made changes to our email and text marketing policy in response to the ICO’s findings,” said a spokesperson for HelloFresh. However, the company’s apology and belated changes to its marketing practices may not be enough to appease customers who feel they have been taken advantage of.
The HelloFresh case highlights the importance of data protection and the need for businesses to obtain clear and informed consent from customers before sending them marketing messages. Companies that fail to comply with data protection regulations face not only hefty fines but also reputational damage and the potential loss of customer trust.
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