Over 60 online lenders called over complaints
Credit to Author: LISBET K. ESMAEL| Date: Sat, 05 Oct 2019 16:14:30 +0000
THE National Privacy Commission (NPC) has summoned 67 online lenders over alleged data privacy violations after more complaints against them surfaced.
In a statement on Friday, the privacy watchdog said these lenders were the “subject of data privacy complaints, but whose identities and business addresses elude detection.”
Some complained that the lenders accessed borrowers’ mobile phonebook, informing the people on their contact lists that they were named co-makers or character references. Others said the agents of these lenders allegedly used social media sites to post borrowers’ personal information.
The NPC ordered the lenders to answer the complaints on October 14 and attend a summary hearing the next day. It warned them that if they failed to comply, their processing of personal data may be banned and the complaints would be elevated to the commission en banc for a decision.
The lenders are Akulaku, Batis Loan, Cash bus, Cash flyer, Cash loan, Cash moto, Cash to go, Cash warm, Cashafin, Cashaku, Cashalo, Cashaso, Cashmoney loan, Cashope, Cashwhale, Crazy Loan, Credit coin, Credit peso, Crutchpil, First lending, Flash cash, Happy cash, Hello papaya, JK Quick Cash Lending, Kwago, Lalapeso (Mintwagon Lending Corp.), Lending cash, Light credit, Loan champ, Loan motto, Loan wallet, Mabilis cash, Mango cash, Mango loan, Mcmpire, Megaloan, MF cash (Microdot Lending Corp.), Moola lending, One cash, Online loans Pilipinas, Pautang peso, Pera advance, Pera express, Pera lending, Pera Pocket (Rainbow Cash), Pera4u, Peso legend, Peso lending, Peso now, Peso online, Peso Q, Peso to Go, Peso tree, Peso wallet, Peso.ph, Peso2go, Pesomine, Pesos ph, Pesos.ph, Pinoy cash, Pinoy peso, Pondo pocket, QCash, Sell loan, Super cash, Super peso and Utang pesos.
“Our investigation team is committed in attending to all the complaints filed against online lending apps. However, to date, only the uniform resource locator (URL) and the developers behind the 67 apps are identifiable. They have no known company name[s] and business address[es], nor has anyone appeared before the commission to represent them,” Privacy Commissioner Raymund Enriquez Liboro said.
“Our investigators are aware that some of these online lending apps exist in the cloud. As defendants being unknown, summons by publication suffice the rules on acquiring jurisdiction and the principle of due process,” he added.