Paddy Power Betfair denies breach of privacy allegations

Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) has defended its KYC controls and trading practices following allegations it could be breaching privacy laws by using cookies and social media to “spy” on punters.

According to an article in The Times, a legal expert claimed the company could be in “breach of privacy laws” for not making it clear how customer information was gathered and used.

Today’s article specifically referenced PPB’s use of a cookie tool known as Iovation, which can track whether a punter has logged into to several accounts from the same IP address, among other things.

The Times source said information gleaned by Iovation can then be used to restrict and close accounts.

However PPB told EGR the tool helped it fulfil a variety of regulatory requirements, including fraud detection, responsible gambling controls and anti-money laundering.

It also said its legal team had okayed the use of Iovation, because the cookie is “strictly necessary” to its business.

Companies are usually required to provide clear and comprehensive information about any cookies used but there is a narrow exception to this if the use of a cookie is deemed “strictly necessary” for the provision of the service.

A spokesperson for PPB said: “Like many other bookmakers we use Iovation to tackle fraudulent activity, breaches of our terms and conditions and for responsible gambling purposes.

“We consider the use of Iovation to be strictly necessary in order for us to fulfil our legal and regulatory requirements around security, prevention of fraud and anti-money laundering, so it complies with data protection guidelines in both Ireland and the UK.”

The Times article also refers to the use of social media and Google Maps to help trading teams create punter profiles.