Manchester firm fined £300,000 for bombarding people in debt with over 5.5 million unlawful texts
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has fined a Manchester-based firm £300,000 for sending more than 5.5 million unsolicited text messages to people in debt. The messages were sent without lawful basis, violating rules that exist specifically to protect people from this kind of mass, uninvited contact.
Why this matters: People in debt are already under pressure. Flooding their phones with millions of unlawful texts is not a marketing misstep — it is targeting vulnerable people who did not ask to be contacted. The fine is significant, but the number to focus on is 5.5 million. That is not a glitch. That is a business model. Regulators fining firms after the fact is fine, but it does not undo the stress caused to real people who were chased by messages they had no way to stop.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance
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