UK to probe software used by bookmakers
The ICO started an investigation regarding the tracking software that a lot of online bookmakers use.
UK.- The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced that they started an investigation to probe the use of Iovation. The software gets automatically installed without the players’ knowledge when they decide to log into an online bookmaker site in the UK.
As reported by the BBC, the founder of Justice for Punters Brian Chappell filed the complaint along with other bettor. They claimed that totesport.com and Sky Bet are using the software to collect data from players without their consent, but the sites said that they need the software in order to prevent fraud and identity theft, as well as preventing the use of multiple accounts. The complaint establishes that the information collected is not about winning punters. Iovation released a statement where it’s detailed that no access to information like the history of players regarding winning and losses or specific betting details has been violated, and that it’s up to those companies to comply with data privacy laws.
The ICO is focusing the investigation on the current laws to make sure that these companies are not violating the 1998 Data Protection Act. A few years ago, the office told operators that they need to be explicit when asking players if they accept to be under the tracking software, like cookies installed on mobile devices.
