THE NATIONAL Privacy Commission (NPC) on Monday said it shut down 26 online lending companies that allegedly shame their borrowers.
In a statement, the NPC said it has “imposed a ban on the processing of personal data against operators of 26 online lending applications, as part of the agency’s continuing crackdown on online lenders that resort to public shaming of borrowers.”
The NPC said such companies “failed to appear before the Commission to answer allegations filed by complainants.”
The mobile apps of the said 26 companies continue to be available for use, the NPC noted, hence, the Commission decided to ban their operations.
These online lending companies are a “continuing threat to the rights and freedoms of data subjects,” the NPC said.
The 26 online companies banned by the NPC are: Cash bus, Cash flyer, Cash warm, Cashafin, Cashaku, Cashope, Cashwhale, Credit peso, Flash Cash, JK Quickcash lending, Light Credit, Loan motto, Moola Lending, One cash, Pautang peso, Pera express, Peso now, Peso tree, Peso.ph, Pesomine, Pinoy cash, Pinoy Peso, Qcash, Sell loan, SuperCash, and Utang pesos.
“The operators of the 26 applications are ordered to immediately take down their online lending operations and make sure that their apps are no longer publicly available for download, installation or use. They are also directed to stop all activities that entail processing of personal data, including those outsourced to third parties, and those that involve use of information from phonebook, directory, and contact list of data subjects, as well as disclosure of false or unwarranted information, and unduly intrusive methods of personal data processing,” the NPC said.
The commission added that it is currently coordinating with the National Telecommunications Commission for appropriate action.
The NPC is also communicating with Google Play Store operator Google LLC “for their compliance, in accordance with the terms and conditions of their platform.” — Arjay L. Balinbin
