Everyone has to help fight spam scourge

Companies should play their part to keep our personal information safe from misuse

Consumers are being more hesitant about revealing personal information to callers claiming to work for organisations such as banks. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

Who hasn't received spam texts or unsolicited marketing calls? The blight of our mobile numbers being handed on to unscrupulous commercial organisations is so prevalent that even the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, was driven to demand action after he received a stream of unwanted late-night texts over several days in 2012.

It is little wonder people are being much more careful about handing out their personal information. As we reported this week, three quarters of people are so concerned about their personal information falling into the wrong hands that they hesitate to provide information even to reputable companies. Most said they were willing to pay more if it meant their personal information was handled more securely.

But we also know that we face constant requests for our personal information, ranging from having to provide copies of our passports or Emirates ID card for mundane transactions, being asked for identifying information over the phone by a stranger who purports to work for our bank, or even having personal details recorded by security staff when visiting friends in an apartment block. While most of those who receive this information protect it appropriately, an unscrupulous few know they can make money by selling it to marketing companies. On other occasions, companies that strive to keep data protected fall prey to hacking by international crime gangs.

However, instead of the onus being entirely on the consumer to be more careful, there is also a reasonable expectation that the companies to which we hand this information to keep it secure from vulnerabilities ranging from rogue staff to hackable online databases.

One upside of having only two telecommunications companies ought to be a simplified process of mass-blocking of spam texts, as phone users can do in much of the rest of the world. Texts from specific numbers can be blocked now but only on an individual basis. But it is far better if unethical companies never had the opportunity to gain access to our contact details in the first place. While each of us need to be the first line of defence against the risk of falling prey to identity theft, we ought to expect companies to play their part too.