Personal data of 14,000 BMW customers in Hong Kong leaked
- Privacy watchdog investigating after names, mobile numbers and SMS opt-out preferences of customers exposed
The sole importer of BMW vehicles in Hong Kong said on Thursday the personal data of 14,000 customers had been leaked, seven days after it informed the city’s privacy watchdog of the breach, leading some car owners to express anger over being kept in the dark.
BMW Concessionaires (HK) said on its website the data security of about 14,000 customers, including their names, mobile numbers and SMS opt-out preferences, had been compromised.
The information involved was handled by a third-party agency and the company had promptly reported the matter to police and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, it added.
The privacy watchdog said on Thursday it received a notification of a data breach from the company on July 18 and had advised it to alert affected individuals as soon as possible.
BMW’s contractor for handling customers’ data, Sanuker, notified the watchdog on Wednesday of the data breach.