T-Mobile Denies Selling Customer Data to Banks

A news program shown on Czech Republic television last week has alleged that T-Mobile breached data protection laws when it passed customer details to a partner bank, Komercni banka for a co-branded credit card service.

T-Mobile has issued a statement stating that it never sold its client database to Komercni banka (KB), and both companies acted ethically and in full accordance with the personal data protection legislation in force.

T-Mobile says that provided its project partner solely with the data that is essential for making an offer but does not identify or enable to identify any particular person. Therefore, no personal data was involved. Complete data - name, address, birth registration number, phone number - is provided by customers themselves only when they decide to activate the credit card by filling in and handing out the credit card activation voucher.

The contacted customers are only those who have not refused that their personal data be used for marketing purposes.

The credit card is a joint product of T-Mobile and KB and is offered under the T-Mobile Bonus loyalty program. Customers use the card for collecting points that can be utilized within this program.

In a statement T-Mobile said that "the information that TV Prima provided in their yesterday's news report broadcast is false and harmful to the good reputation of both companies. T-Mobile and Komercni banka will seek remedy and also consider taking legal steps."

Posted to the site on 1st June 2008