Customer Information Privacy - Essay Example

The report further documents that "it is inappropriate and illegal to sell customer information when it was collected under the assumption that it wouldn't be shared" (Sandoval, 2000). Since it has been assured by the firms to their customers that their personal data would not be transferred, it is quite unethical and unprofessional to share such information with other business organizations or agencies. If a firm decides to share the information about its customers with outside organizations, there exists a breach of contract between the company and the customers.

As a result, the customers can approach the concerned authority to make good of such breach. At the time of filling up the forms or any other requirements, it is usually seen that the customers' information would not be disclosed under any circumstances. In its privacy policy of Dell Company, it has been specified that they won't sell their customers' information to anybody without the customers' consent. The company is of the opinion that if they want to share it with any outside organization, the same has to be disclosed in the policy and get the consent of the customers (Disclosure of information, n. d.).

In the United States of America, the privacy information cases are handled by The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which insists on companies using websites to specify their information collection policy to customers. FTC, using its privilege under section 5 of the Act, the Commission makes it obligatory that the security of consumers' personal information should be ensured and handled properly (Customer Information and Privacy, n. d.). It is, therefore, imperative that the personal information collected by companies through their e-division and websites should not be sold to other organizations or agencies to make a profit.

If companies want the information to be sold, consent for the same has to be sought and the customer should not exhibit any displeasure in this regard. Once the company performs this unethical practice, its reputation and credibility as a trusted company will be endangered and the company will lose confidence among customers and the public and eventually result in loss of business and profit.