Prize promotions: an important change in participant data collection
Take care when collecting participant data for a prize promotion: compliance with regulations is essential.
Some time ago, the Italian Data Protection Authority fined a well-known brand over a prize promotion. The company was accused of unlawfully obtaining consent to process data for commercial purposes through the website form used to access a points collection.
In practice, customers wishing to participate were required, contrary to the regulations, to give two generic consents on the website form.
As well as prohibiting this procedure, the supervisory authority required the form to be changed so users could give free and specific consent for each processing purpose.
It is an important step in an often underestimated area that has become fertile ground for improvised specialist agencies, which sometimes use fashionable terminology to claim expertise they do not really have.
We often come across prize competitions or reward promotions, whose data collection is far from compliant with regulations and the GDPR.
Promotional mechanics with questionable data processing purposes have proliferated, in part because this issue was underestimated for a long time.
Consumers, increasingly attentive to how their personal data is collected and processed, demand complete transparency when giving consent in prize promotions.
Perhaps, beyond the latest trends, it would be better to turn to professionals with an established track record and proven experience in the sector.
