Please tell me this isn't true!

[#1]

Seen on Plusnet's Facebook page:

I need to quickly point something out to you guys, I was walking past your contact centre in Marlborough Street, Leeds today and noticed something quite alaming. I noticed as I walked past the building you don't seem to have any blacked out windows, yes they are tinted but it didn't stop me from seeing a customers personal account information on one of your monitors. A girl sat right by the windows with her computer monitor on an angle so this allowed me to see all of the customer information. Do you guys know about Data protection? Clearly not! I would recommend and especially in a ground floor contact centre that you have blinds or blacked out windows. Thankfully I'm not a Plusnet customer.

[#2]

regardless of the monitor position or tints/blinds, he/she must have been pretty close to the window on the outside to be able to read something on a monitor inside the building.
was he/she purposely trying to look inside?

[#3]

It would also be pretty obvious they were looking inside too as they probably would need to cup their hands around their eyes to block out sunlight in order to see through the blacked out windows. People inside would see this and should call security. The sheffield office doesn't have any computer screens facing the blacked out windows (I walk past them every day) and even if they did, you'd have a hard time seeing anything at all.

[#4]

What makes you think they would call Security Jack? Clearly they aren't security conscious and probably wouldn't think of the fact that they person could see customer details on a monitor, they'd probably just wave at the person if they even spotted them

@jelv I think I'd just forward that information to the ICO, that will pretty much guarantee some action being taken. I doubt any communication to the lower echelons of PN staff would see any action whatsoever.

[#5]

of course, we are taking the word of an anonymous person posting on facebook that this actually happened.
not saying it's made up, but if the person was that concerned why didn't they just go to reception and report their concerns there and then.

[#6]

Well if it wasn't true a plusnet staff member would turn up and say so.

[#7]

Maybe they had a bus or a train to catch. There are all sorts of reasons why people don't do what you (or I) might think obvious or sensible. I've been in similar situations where I maybe could/should have taken  some action about something but not wanted to get involved for whatever reason at the time. Where did it say the person posting of Facebook was anonymous? and even if it was, to even suggest the possibility of this being made up is ridiculous, such an individual would had you have had a very vivid imagination.

As I mentioned, I doubt reporting such an issue to lower echelons of staff - that includes people on Reception - would ensure the correct action. Reporting to the ICO would ensure that the correct level of Management/Legal were contacted to look into the issue.

[#8]

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@jaread83 wrote:

It would also be pretty obvious they were looking inside too as they probably would need to cup their hands around their eyes to block out sunlight in order to see through the blacked out windows. People inside would see this and should call security.

After sunset? They wouldn't need to cup their hands and they probably wouldn't be seen from inside!

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[#9]

@billnotben damned if they do and damned if they don't

[#10]

there any many people with vivid imaginations on facebook.
reporting it to the ICO, the person will need to give very specific evidence, not just a "i looked thru a window and saw this".

i still find it rather difficult to fully believe.
they would have had to be really close up to the window to be able to read anything on a monitor.
and if they were that close up then one wonders why they were that close up.

and they are anonymous in that we don't know who they are, what agenda they have, or if it is indeed a real profile.
many factors to consider.

and i clearly said that i wasn't saying it was made up, but i'm not taking at full face value either.

[#11]

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@chenks76 wrote:
of course, we are taking the word of an anonymous person posting on facebook that this actually happened.

Far from anonymous! It's in the visitor posts on https://www.facebook.com/plusnet/posts_to_page/

Note the comment from Plusnet which seems to acknowledge the issue.

[#12]

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@chenks76 wrote:
reporting it to the ICO, the person will need to give very specific evidence, not just a "i looked thru a window and saw this".

You work for the ICO? Reporting a very specific location, building name/address and company name and information seen, IS specific evidence. Anyway let's hope the response on Facebook ensures the correct attention is actually given. Other than that, I stand by what I said and can't be arsed to waste any more time on this issue.

[#13]

This has been flagged up internally and is in hand.

[#14]

Maybe it was a plusnet customer looking to see if his support ticket has been replied too  

[#15]

Nope - he was probably checking to see if there were actually any support staff in there!