Data blunder saw Co-operative funeral customers' details revealed on internet
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A subsidiary of The Co-operative Group has been forced to apologise after personal data about 83,000 customers was published online.
The data related to funeral planning products offered by Co-operative Life Planning, which trades under the name The Co-operative Wills and Funeral Planning. An error at a third-party support services provider used by Co-operative Life Planning caused a file containing customer information relating to 83,000 customers to appear embedded within an internet search.
Co-op Life Planning says it was notified of the error at the beginning of March and took immediate action to resolve the issue. The Co-op refuses to confirm what information was published but claims it is classed as “non-sensitive” under the Data Protection Act.
Co-operative Life Planning has refused to name the third party involved.
A spokesman for Co-operative Life Planning says: “As a result of an error at a company which provides technical support services to Co-operative Life Planning, the security of some data was lowered. A full investigation into how the issue occurred is under way. The Information Commissioner’s Office has been notified. We take our responsibilities to our customers extremely seriously and we have written to all the approximately 83,000 customers affected.”
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