Papa John’s has been fined by the UK's data and privacy protection regulator for sending more than 160,000 nuisance messages to customers.
The takeaway pizza chain has been ordered by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to pay £10,000 for distributing a series of unwanted marketing texts and emails without the valid consent required by law.
Among the 15 complaints made to the watchdog, one claimed they had received almost 100 messages within two months, describing it as the “textbook definition of harassment”.
An investigation by the ICO found that the firm had sent more than 210,000 marketing messages, with 168,022 confirmed as received, between October 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020.
The ICO ruled that Papa John’s wrongly used a “soft opt-in” marketing exemption for people who placed an order over the phone.
ICO head of investigations, Andy Curry, said: “The law is clear and simple.
“When relying on the ‘soft opt-in’ exemption, companies must ensure they have their customer’s consent, and any marketing they send provides a simple opt-out option.
“Papa John’s telephone customers were not given the opportunity to refuse marketing at the point of contact, which has led to this fine.
“We will continue to take action against companies who may be gaining unfair advantage over those companies that adhere to the law and comply with electronic marketing law.”
