Recent developments within the data industry, particularly for the London-based political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica cast a dark cloud over data companies.

The Information Commissioner (The ICO) is set to apply for a warrant to search the offices of the consulting firm to access servers and databases to find exactly what has been going on with the personal data held.

In short, the company has been accused of using the personal data of over 50 million Facebook users to influence the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential Election. Suspicions of harvesting personal data from individuals and ‘friends’ of the individuals for political purposes is a worrying thought for any country promoting high democratic values. The company has denied any wrongdoing.

The headlines may send out worrying messages for the wider data industry, tarnishing the reputation of well-established analytical and data organisations, and taking consumer trust to an all-new low.

A spokeswoman from campaign group Privacy International has warned:

“The current focus is on protecting your data being exploited by third parties, but your data is being exploited all the time.”

It makes it absolutely vital to find a credible data supplier, especially when the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is fully enforced on May 25th, 2018.

Insight Data Ltd, the leading B2B suppliers of high quality data and market intelligence within the fenestration and wider construction industries, take the privacy and rights of individuals extremely seriously. It is absolutely critical that other suppliers think the same.

When choosing a data supplier, we recommend asking:

• Who collected the data in the list?
• When was the data compiled?
• When was the last time it was updated?
• How was the data collected? – Were the data subjects fairly and clearly informed on how their data is being used?
• Has the list been screened against TPS or any other relevant services? If it has, then when? How often is that updated?
• Has the 3rd party data supplier received any complaints?
• What legal ground is the 3rd party data supplier using to obtain the data?
• How clear are the privacy policies in place from the 3rd party supplier? Are they filled with technical, confusing jargon or clear and simple to understand?

Any reputable list broker should be able to answer all the above and demonstrate the reliability of the data list. If the seller cannot provide any of the information above, it is highly recommended to simply avoid that supplier. It could leave you and your organisation liable to the hefty fines of GDPR which currently stand at €20 million or 4% of your annual global turnover.

Don’t get caught up in the dirty side of data.