UK watchdog to probe Klarna over email error

The UK’s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has said it will launch a probe into Swedish payment provider Klarna following complaints it had sent emails to people who had never used its service.

The data protection watchdog said it received a flurry of complaints of the marketing email from people who wanted to know how the fintech company got its hands on their details.

The email was followed up with a message apologising for the mistake and confirming those who received the message in error had not been added to a marketing database.

“We are aware that on 12 October some people received our weekly newsletter by mistake. This was a human error and the email was incorrectly sent for which we are extremely sorry,” Klarna said on its blog.

In response to how it received customers’ data, it said: “The email was sent to Klarna consumers who have recently used one of Klarna’s products or services including Klarna’s checkout technology. When you use Klarna you agree to our terms and conditions and our privacy notice.”

The company provides checkours for a growing list of fashion companies including Topshop, Asos, Boohoo and Nike.

It said the data is used for several purposes, including helping it screen for fraud, process payments, and manage shipping.

Photo credit: Klarna