Is this a breach of gdpa?

[rapoo]

in 2021 Lowell chased me for a debt that wasnt mine. It was eventually discontinued. While chasing me for the debt, they collected my contact details. Now they are using the same contact details to chase me for another debt that isnt mine. As I understood it, my contact details can only be used for the purpose they were collected for, which was to chase me for the first debt. As that was discontinued, they had no need to keep my contact details. Are they now breaching gdpa by keeping my details and using them again?

[rapoo]

anyone?

[R0b]

Hi

First, the correct terminology and reference to legislation is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) not GDPA. We now refer to the GDPR as the UK GDPR since Brexit.

Second, I am not certain that Lowell are in breach of the UK GDPR, presumably on the basis that the contact details were obtained for the purposes of pursuing you for a particular debt. Personal data can be reused for other purposes provided that it is compatible with the same purpose as originally intended. Given that the original purpose was to pursue you for an outstanding debt and the second opportunity is for the same reason, I think they are within their rights to do that.

If they used your contact details to send you marketing communications then I don't think that would fly because the two purposes are completely different and unconnected.

The only way they would be in breach is if they were contractually or statutory bound to use that set of contact information for the original purpose only and that they had to delete that information once no longer used or that they were prohibited from using that information to pursue other debts. Nothing suggests that is the case here.