(Ecofin Agency) - The Senegal Personal Data Commission (CDP), meeting in a plenary session on 31 July 2015, gave a warning to Digital Virgo, a French company present in 18 countries. The company specialised in the supply of mobile content is reproached with breaching the legal conditions of direct market research. Digital Virgo, during its search for new clients, has indeed repeatedly violated the regulations on the protection of the personal data of consumers.

Since the month of January 2015, many complaints from subscribers to the mobile operator Expresso, involving Digital Virgo, were registered by CDP. The complaints were on the fact that subscribers were charged for receiving messages with a religious and commercial content though they had not subscribed to this service, without any option available to unsubscribe. Though CDP had notified Digital Virgo that sending such messages required the consent of the recipients, the content supplier continued its illegal activities.

It is following these numerous breaches of consumer personal data that CDP gave a warning to Digital Virgo for illegal and repeated practice of direct commercial prospection. The company was also sentenced to publish said warning. It is forbidden from practising this kind of illegal operation. “In case of recidivism, a fine will be imposed on Digital Virgo”, stressed the CDP.