Ebay facing European and US investigations after data breach
Ebay is facing investigation from European and US authorities after a recent data breach compromised the personal data of up to 145 million customers.
Data breach: Ebay is facing investigation
The online auction site this week began notifying customers of the problem and instructed them to reset their passwords. Now, the UK’s information commissioner is liaising with European authorities over whether action should be taken against the site, while three US states are also jointly investigating the incident.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, the UK information commissioner said the breach was “very serious” but blamed outdated data protection laws from preventing the Information Commissioner’s Office from launching an immediate investigation The ICO will instead liaise with Luxembourg data protection, where eBay’s European headquarters are based.
On Friday, former chief executive of the Chartered Institute for Public Relations Jane Wilson, said that eBay had “done a disservice” to its users.
“Many customers are angry and have voiced their concerns in the media and to US authorities,” she wrote in a blog for The Drum. “This incident will no doubt dent eBay’s reputation but with around 130 million active users and an unmatched scale in online trading, it remains to be seen if it will have any long term impact.”