Digicel Barbados has confirmed a data breach that saw personal customer information inadvertently shared externally, prompting concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of sensitive data during what appears to be an active political campaign season.
The telecommunications company addressed the incident through its social media platforms yesterday morning, stating that the issue was identified promptly and immediate containment measures were implemented.
According to the company’s statement, relevant regulatory bodies were notified and affected customers were being contacted directly.
“Protecting customer information remains our top priority, and we are committed to strengthening our processes and data protection measures.”
However, allegations have emerged suggesting that the leaked database was circulated widely via WhatsApp across Barbados, with some customers reporting receiving unsolicited campaign calls from political canvassers who should not have had access to their contact details. The timing of these calls, coinciding with the data leak, has raised questions about whether political parties may have obtained and utilised the compromised information.
Both the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) have firmly denied these allegations.
Patricia Parris, chief executive officer of the BLP, stated: “I am not aware of the list, so I cannot speak to it being used in our campaigning.”
David Bowen, DLP campaign manager, was equally emphatic: “You can be assured that the Democratic Labour Party has not been using that information in its campaigning.”
Multiple attempts to reach a representative from Digicel Barbados for a comment were unsuccessful. (DDS)
