Cholesterol management may be achievable by altering just one switch in an individual’s genetic code—potentially for a lifetime.
A pilot study featured in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrated a novel gene therapy that decreased patients’ low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly known as “bad” cholesterol, by nearly 50%, while also reducing triglycerides by an average of 55%.
If forthcoming trials yield similar results, this one-time therapy could serve as an alternative to the combination of medications that millions currently rely on to manage their cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are lipids produced by the liver; however, excessive accumulation in the bloodstream can lead to fat deposits that may result in cardiovascular diseases, which account for about one-third of deaths in the United States.
“Both LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are linked to severe cardiovascular risks, such as heart attacks, strokes, and mortality,” remarked Steven Nissen, a professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner School of Medicine. BBC Science Focus.
Nissen was part of a research team focusing on lowering cholesterol levels by targeting the ANGPTL3 gene, associated with LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
About 1 in 250 individuals possess a mutation that deactivates this gene, leading to lower lipid levels in their blood. Nissen noted, “Importantly, the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases in these individuals is also minimal.”
Thanks to CRISPR gene-editing technology, identifying individuals who might benefit from this mutation is no longer just a matter of chance.
CRISPR selectively modifies DNA by targeting specific genes. – Credit: Getty
Utilizing CRISPR, Nissen and his team developed a treatment to deactivate the ANGPTL3 gene in the liver, which was then infused into 15 patients during an initial safety study.
The treatment significantly reduced participants’ LDL and triglyceride levels within two weeks, and these reductions remained stable after 60 days. Nissen stated, “These changes are anticipated to be permanent.”
Healthcare professionals recommend maintaining LDL cholesterol levels below 100mg/dL to promote heart health. While lifestyle changes can assist, many individuals, particularly those with genetic tendencies to high cholesterol, find it challenging to reach this target.
While existing medications are effective, no drugs simultaneously lower both LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, often requiring patients to take multiple medications daily for life to manage their cholesterol.
“The next phase of the trial is set to commence in the coming months, involving more patients with elevated LDL cholesterol or triglycerides,” Nissen stated.
If the trials continue to succeed, this therapy could serve as a lasting solution against some of the most significant health threats globally.
Can psychedelics be effective against common anxiety disorders?
Science Photo Library/Alamy
Research indicates that a single dose of LSD may alleviate anxiety without causing lasting side effects.
“We are conducting the first modern examination of LSD and its effects on common anxiety disorders,” says Dan Carlin from Mindmed in New York.
This disorder is marked by persistent worry about various issues, including work and relationships. Standard treatments often involve mood-enhancing medications and therapies, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other antidepressants.
However, approximately half of patients do not respond to these treatments. “SSRIs are ineffective for many; they can produce side effects, such as emotional numbness, and must be taken daily to have any effect,” Carlin explains.
Previous studies propose that LSD might serve as an alternative treatment. Psychedelics are frequently used for their mind-altering hallucinations in recreational contexts. Carlin believes they may operate by enhancing serotonin levels in the brain, which improve mood, and may also encourage the brain’s capacity for rewiring and developing new thought patterns.
Nonetheless, so far, trials directly comparing LSD with a placebo have not specifically evaluated its effects on generalized anxiety disorder.
To address this issue, Carlin and his team recruited 198 adults with this condition. Participants gradually reduced their current anxiety medications, while those receiving psychotherapy continued their sessions.
In a standard clinical assessment, participants rated the intensity of 14 symptoms, including worry, tension, and difficulty focusing, on a scale from 0-4.
The team then randomly assigned participants into five groups—those receiving LSD (in doses of 25, 50, 100, or 200 micrograms) or placebo tablets. The following day, those who received doses of 100 and 200 micrograms reported greater symptom relief compared to other groups, according to Karlin.
One month later, participants who took the 100 and 200 microgram doses noted an average anxiety reduction of 21 and 19 points, respectively, with improvements sustained until the study’s conclusion three months later. Approximately 46% of these individuals were in remission.
In contrast, those receiving placebo and the lower doses experienced a 14-17 point reduction in anxiety over the same period, with about 20% achieving remission. This indicates that the lower doses did not yield significant benefits beyond the placebo effect.
The enhancements seen with the higher doses are significantly greater than those produced by the placebo, states Sunjeev Kamboj from University College London. “This marks a clinically meaningful improvement in terms of distress and disability,” he notes.
The progress observed in the placebo group is a common occurrence in anxiety studies, likely influenced by factors such as participants’ enthusiasm and attention during the trial, Kamboj adds.
The team noted that they could accurately ascertain whether most participants received LSD or placebo. Psychedelics typically produce hallucinations, which can affect many individuals. Across all groups, participants experienced nausea and headaches about 12 hours post-treatment.
At lower LSD doses, those on placebo reported hallucinations significantly less frequently than at higher psychedelics doses. This complicates the assessment of whether the benefits observed are due to individual expectations based on perceived effects or the direct influence of the drug on the brain, Kamboj explains.
Despite these caveats, the study offers compelling evidence that LSD could be a viable anxiety treatment, he states. “It’s a promising finding, indicating it can quickly alleviate symptoms. This is highly relevant for patients.”
The results have led the US Food and Drug Administration to classify MindMed’s LSD formulations as a breakthrough therapy, expediting the drug development process. Karlin mentions that the team has conducted thorough follow-up trials for over three months, with anticipated results forthcoming in the next few years.
Exercise doesn’t need to be lengthy to yield substantial rewards
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If you’re skipping exercise due to time constraints, integrating just a few short bursts of activity—like 5 to 6 active sessions of 10 seconds each—can greatly impact your health. A US study revealed that individuals engaging in over a minute of intense activity daily had a significantly lower mortality risk over the next six years compared to those who were inactive.
Currently, only about 15% of adults participate in regular exercise, according to Emmanuel Stamatakis from the University of Sydney, Australia. “The majority of the adult population struggles with including regular exercise into their routine, whether due to a lack of interest or difficulty.”
To further investigate, Stamatakis and his team studied the health benefits associated with incidental exercise, which can occur through activities like walking downhill, playfully engaging with children, and carrying heavy objects. They monitored participants for one week as part of a larger health study, assessing their activity levels and examining mortality risks in the following year.
In 2023, findings from the UK Biobank study involving tens of thousands of participants indicated that those with approximately 4.4 minutes of daily active time were 38% less likely to die from any cause in the next seven to eight years compared to non-exercisers.
Additionally, the research included results from 3,300 individuals in the US NHANES study. “This group, on average, is significantly overweight and less active,” remarks Stamatakis.
This group only required 1.1 minutes of intense activity daily to lower their overall mortality risk by 38% over the subsequent six years.
This demonstrates that this less active US group experienced similar relative benefits with just 1.1 and 4.4 minutes of activity found in the fitter UK group; however, it doesn’t imply they reached the same health status. Participants in the US study generally had lower fitness levels to start with and were at a higher baseline risk of mortality.
“This observation may indicate a more sedentary, higher-risk demographic that benefits considerably from minor increases in activity, and I concur,” states Carlos Celis Morales from the University of Glasgow, UK. “This phenomenon is known as the ceiling effect; those with high fitness levels have diminished potential for further improvement, while individuals with lower fitness levels have significant room for enhancement.”
The findings further support the notion that even small amounts of intense, unintentional movement can yield substantial health benefits. However, Stamatakis cautions that causation hasn’t been firmly established yet. “While it seems logical that health benefits might exist,” he notes. “This type of study cannot definitively prove causality.”
His research team is planning future studies to provide stronger evidence that observed health improvements stem from increased incidental exercise. “Our long-term objective is to discover methods to incorporate more activity into people’s everyday lives without requiring trips to the gym,” Stamatakis expresses.
Psilocybin, the hallucinogen, is derived from numerous magical mushrooms
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A single dose of the psychedelic compound psilocybin may suffice to alter the connections within specific brain networks.
Psychedelic substances like psilocybin, sourced from various magical mushrooms, impact individuals’ perceptions of time, space, and self. Furthermore, they exhibit potential in addressing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, largely due to their capability to enhance brain plasticity—though the mechanisms remain unclear.
Currently, Alex Kwan, from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and his team conducted experiments where mice received injections of either psilocybin or saline. The following day, they injected a genetically modified rabies virus, known for crossing synaptic gaps and indicating neuron connections.
Scans and dissections helped visualize the virus’s effects throughout the brain, revealing new neuronal connections. This research demonstrated that mice treated with psilocybin fortified the links between the brain’s resfluniur cortex—which integrates imagination, memory, and sensory data—and areas of the prefrontal cortex tied to planning and social behavior, in comparison to those receiving saline solutions.
Moreover, psilocybin seems to reduce connections involved in the cortical recurrent loops, which, while valuable for holding onto important memories, can, in some mental health conditions, perpetuate negative thoughts and behaviors. It is theorized that disrupting these loops is vital in addressing various mental health conditions.
“I believe this is the next phase we need to clarify,” stated Michael Wheeler from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Understanding these circuits that connect associative regions could be pivotal to unlocking mechanisms.”
“The modifications brought about by psilocybin treatment play a significant role in its effects on mood disorders,” said Eero Castén from the University of Helsinki, Finland. He added, however, that psilocybin merely offers a chance for remodeling; the actual circuits that strengthen or weaken may depend on the animal’s actions.
This line of research suggests that in the future, one might be able to select which brain connections to alter based on the mental health condition being treated. “Our findings present an exciting pathway for future work that combines neuroregulation with psychedelics to precisely target specific neuroplastic circuits,” the researchers noted in their publication.
Psilocybin use illustrates the “set and setting” phenomenon linked with psychedelic substances, exploring how various activities and environments influence brain alterations. The user’s mindset and surroundings can significantly impact drug effectiveness, resulting in “good” or “bad” trips.
Although this study was conducted on mice, it remains uncertain if the same connectivity changes occur in humans after consuming psilocybin. Nevertheless, Wheeler suggests the mechanisms might be comparable. This mouse study parallels findings in human brain scan research from 2024, which indicates that psilocybin may enhance connectivity in specific brain areas.
Rapid detection of individual electrons proves challenging
agsandrew/shutterstock
Now, detecting a solitary electron with a resolution of a trillion can be achieved in a mere second. This breakthrough could be crucial for advancing new generations of quantum electronic devices.
While conventional electronic circuits are packed with numerous electrons, their interactions often diminish their efficiency and performance. Is it possible to effectively manage a single electron to create a speedy and efficient circuit that operates with one electron at a time? Masaya Kataoka from the UK’s National Institute of Physics (NPL) and his team have advanced this objective by developing highly precise techniques for electron detection.
They introduced two electrons at different locations within a thin layer of the semiconductor gallium halide arsenide. The charged particles moved rapidly toward each other. When their paths drew near, the force between the electrons caused them to diverge, altering their trajectories. The researchers tracked one of the electrons and leveraged this deflection to identify the other electrons. They managed to detect it within 6 trillion interactions, which is roughly 100 times quicker than previous methods.
“Our experiments can be regarded as electrons acting as the world’s smallest sensors, detecting the world’s smallest object,” remarks Kataoka.
Team member John Fletcher at NPL explains that interactions among electrons can occur over trillion-second intervals. With this timescale now achievable, researchers are beginning to explore what two electrons do within a device and leverage this knowledge to design new electronic innovations.
Vyacheslavs Kashcheyevs from the University of Latvia believes this work could mark a pivotal point in the creation of a new generation of electronic devices reliant on high-speed single electrons. He elaborates that a single electron is inherently a quantum entity, which means future devices may harness their quantum characteristics directly, similar to their current applications in quantum computing and communication.
Researchers envision that a single-electron device could accomplish tasks akin to those performed by quantum devices that utilize a single photon, yet it would be significantly smaller. Such electron-based devices could even be integrated onto chips for convenience, says Christian Flindt from Aalto University in Finland. He emphasizes that this detection method will serve as the foundational building blocks for these potential applications.
The findings are also expected to enhance the understanding of electrical currents. Rolf Haug from Hannover University of Leibniz, Germany, notes that the current standards used for measuring current could be refined by implementing the “electron pump” utilized by the team to inject electrons in their experiments, he states.
Exterior: A device designed to estimate your life expectancy.
So, is it going to tell me when I’ll die? No, thank you. Hold on, let me explain.
Not a problem, but that still sounds pretty terrifying. Just give me a moment. It operates similarly to what your doctor does.
Which is what? We will analyze your photos to evaluate your health.
Oh, that doesn’t sound too bad. However, this device can assess you even more accurately. It can also help predict your response to treatments.
Nope, I’m out again. Let me elaborate. Faceage is an AI innovation developed by scientists at Mass General Brigham in Boston. By examining a picture of your face, it can assess your biological age compared to your chronological age.
What does that imply? It means everyone ages differently. For instance, at 50, Paul Rudd had a biological age of 43, while fellow actor Wilford Brimley was biologically 69 at the same age.
Why is this significant? Individuals with older biological ages are less likely to withstand intensive treatments like radiation therapy.
Explain it to me as if I’m clueless. Sure thing. The older your face looks, the worse it is for your health.
Great, just what I needed to hear about my premature grey hairs. Actually, not exactly. Features like gray hair or hair loss can be misleading. This device evaluates factors like skin folding near the mouth and temple hollows for a more accurate health profile.
Wonderful, now I have to obsessively analyze my temple’s condition. No, this is beneficial. With proper usage, such diagnostic tools can enhance countless lives. Although the initial study focused on cancer patients, researchers intend to broaden the tests to others.
I just had plastic surgery. Will Faceage still work for me? As of now, it’s unclear. The developers still need to investigate this.
What about for people of color? Ah, yes. This model was predominantly trained on white faces, so its effectiveness on diverse skin tones is still uncertain.
This sounds a bit concerning. It’s simply a cautionary issue. Let’s consider how quickly AI evolves. Just last year, ChatGPT was lacking but has now transformed industries. We can expect Faceage to improve rapidly, too.
That’s encouraging. Indeed. Before long, it could assess your face and provide a calm, unbiased judgment on your health and longevity.
Is this for real? No, definitely not. At least, not yet.
Say: “Faceage represents a new frontier in medical diagnostics.”
Don’t say: “They claim we’ll perish during the 2028 robot uprising.”
A traditional traction elevator operates using cables to move the cabin up and down within the building shaft. An attached counterweight at the opposite end of the cable helps facilitate the movement of the cabin. Simply enter the cabin, select a floor, press a button, and let the electric motor transport you to your desired level. As the cabin ascends, the counterweight descends, and vice versa.
Enter the concept of space elevators, a more ambitious take on this idea. The system relies on cables, spanning several thousand meters, extending from space to Earth. Instead of launching rockets into space, the cabin travels along these cables. By utilizing some of the energy from rocket launches, the cable eliminates pollution.
Although it may seem far-fetched, the idea of space elevators has been under serious consideration for many years. The concept was first proposed in 1895 by Russian scientist and space exploration pioneer Konstantin Ziolkovsky, who introduced the concept of the Sky Ladder.
The primary challenge lies in establishing the connection point of the cable to space. Geostationary orbit satellites provide a solution. Positioned at a specific distance from Earth, geostationary orbit satellites remain fixed in one spot above the Earth, creating an ideal anchor point approximately 36,000km (22,200 miles) above the equator.
The process involves dropping lengthy cables from the satellite, causing the satellite to rise and counteract the weight of the cable to maintain its position. To counteract gravity’s effect on the cable under geostationary orbit, the centrifugal effect also contributes to stabilization.
The cables must be anchored and secured to the ground. Some proposals suggest securing anchors on mountaintops or towers to reduce the length of cables required. Another innovative concept suggests utilizing a mobile base on marine aviation vessels or platforms in international waters, allowing for flexibility in avoiding inclement weather or mitigating potential failures at the top.
Currently, a space elevator prototype, known as the “Climber,” is used to transport payloads up the cable. However, experts propose the idea of pulling the entire system into space once payloads reach orbit. Calculations indicate that payloads representing up to 1% of the cable’s mass can be accommodated. Despite the challenges, such as developing a cable 50 times stronger than steel, advancements in materials like carbon nanotubes or graphene offer promising solutions.
With predictions suggesting that space elevators could become a reality in the near future, ongoing research continues to explore innovative approaches to overcome the remaining obstacles.
This article addresses the question posed by Thomas Bletso, “Can we really build a space elevator?”
To submit a question, please email Questions@sciencefocus.com or message us on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Page (be sure to include your name and location).
For fascinating science content, visit our Ultimate Fun Facts page.
On Thursday, Tesla shares surged to their lowest point in over a decade after Elon Musk confidently predicted a sales increase, reassuring investors about the company’s commitment to expanding its electric car sales. The stock closed with nearly a 22% increase, marking its largest gain. By the end of trading, Tesla’s market value had risen by almost $150 billion.
Musk anticipated a sales growth of 20-30% for the next year, announced plans to unveil an affordable car in the first half of 2025, and highlighted efforts to enhance profit margins through production cost reductions in the third quarter.
The stock price peaked at $262.2 during trading, with approximately 200 million shares exchanged. This jump was the company’s biggest since May 2013, reversing recent losses from concerns that Musk’s focus on new projects like robotaxis was diverting attention.
Musk is striving to transition Tesla from a leading electric vehicle company to an AI and robotics enterprise, although a detailed plan for this shift has not yet been formulated. Investors had sold Tesla stock earlier due to insufficient information about the robotaxi initiative.
Ed Egilinsky of Direxion said, “Some skeptics view this rally as reassuring, especially after the pre-earnings release stock sell-off in October, as the financial results exceeded expectations.”
During the last quarter, Musk made daring company announcements focusing on ventures beyond cars, such as driverless taxis and humanoid robots, causing concerns among investors about shrinking profit margins already affected by price reductions.
Tesla reported third-quarter profit margins surpassing Wall Street forecasts, with production costs at record lows of approximately $35,100 per vehicle. The company also revealed $326 million revenue from its autopilot software, Fully Self-Driving (FSD), integrated into the Cybertruck and other autonomous features.
FSD serves as the foundation for Tesla’s robotaxi program.
Musk also expressed his belief that Tesla vehicles will soon offer paid driverless ride-hailing services, reiterating his commitment at the robotaxi event. However, this plan may encounter regulatory hurdles.
Despite the reassurances on Wednesday, not all investors are placated by Tesla’s direction.
Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management and a significant Tesla investor, stated that robotaxis and AI are not the core businesses he wants Musk to prioritize.
“The good old days were when Elon Musk was sleeping in the factory, working tirelessly every day. He shouldn’t be distracted by ventures that stray from his main focus,” Gerber emphasized.
A shimmering sea creature known as a comb jelly exhibits incredible abilities. Despite being injured, two comb jellies can fuse into one body without experiencing tissue rejection, unlike other animals. Moreover, their nervous systems merge, and their digestive tracts combine to share food.
This discovery could assist researchers in understanding how the immune system evolved to differentiate an organism’s own tissues from those of another organism, as well as shed light on the evolution of the nervous system.
Although commonly referred to as comb jellies or ctenophores, they are distinct from jellyfish due to their unique body structures. These creatures are the most ancient beings to have branched off from the common ancestor of all animals, making them a captivating subject for scientists studying early animal evolution. Their nervous system, composed of interconnected neurons forming a continuous network, sets them apart from other animals.
While studying the vibrant combs of ctenophores, specifically Mnemiopsis leidii, at the University of Exeter in the UK, researcher Kei Shirokura noticed a unique specimen with two posterior ends and apical organs. This prompted further investigation.
Through experimentation involving cutting out pieces from unrelated individuals and pairing them together, Shirokura discovered that in most cases, the two bodies seamlessly merged into one within hours. The absence of tissue rejection suggested a lack of xenorecognition, indicating an inability to distinguish between self and non-self.
When prodded, the fused body responded collectively, demonstrating complete integration of the nervous systems. Additionally, the digestive tracts fused, allowing shared food consumption through a single entry point.
This groundbreaking discovery raises questions about when animals developed heterogeneous cognition and the mechanisms behind neural network formation and information processing. Similarly, ctenophores possess the ability to revert from adulthood to a larval-like stage under certain conditions, hinting at a common ancestral characteristic shared among animals.
The potential applications of ctenophores in understanding biological processes like tissue rejection, regeneration, and aging, which are relevant to human health, make them a valuable model for future research.
Over the weekend, a storm hit the Northeast, causing an extraordinary amount of rainfall in two locations on the same night, a rare occurrence that is expected once in a thousand years. The storm resulted in at least three fatalities and widespread flooding. In areas like Oxford and Southbury, Connecticut, 10 inches of rain fell in a span of 12 hours on Sunday. Similarly, Stony Brook, New York, received about 6.7 inches of rain in just three hours Sunday night. The likelihood of both events taking place in any given year is approximately 0.1%. According to federal rainfall probability data, these incidents are significant and not a common occurrence.
Nick Basile, the director of the State Weather Risk Communication Center at the University at Albany in New York, mentioned that experiencing extreme rainfall levels in two different areas in such close succession is noteworthy. While it is challenging to determine the direct impact of climate change on specific events, experts suggest that the combination of extreme rainfall events supports a broader trend in the Northeast, where intense storms are becoming more frequent.
Mark Wysocki, a retired New York state meteorologist, explained that thunderstorms are now producing heavier amounts of rainfall compared to the past. The Northeast has witnessed a considerable rise in extreme precipitation, with the 2023 National Climate Assessment reporting a steep increase in the number of events with significant rainfall.
Members of the Beacon Horse Company rescued people from the Brookside Inn in Oxford, Connecticut on Sunday.Beacon Hose Co. via The Associated Press
The impact of climate change on the behavior of the jet stream may be contributing to the prolonged presence of storms in certain areas, bringing in more moisture and causing heavier rainfall. However, researchers are still in the early stages of studying this phenomenon, making it challenging to draw definitive conclusions.
With infrastructure not designed to handle such intense rainfall, cities in the Northeast face significant challenges during severe weather events. Flash flooding becomes a major concern, prompting calls for better urban planning and infrastructure upgrades.
In Connecticut, tragic deaths occurred as a result of the storm, with two individuals swept away by floodwaters and another person killed by a fallen tree. The storm led to evacuations, water rescues, and disruptions in transportation. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced the prolonged closure of more than a dozen roads in the aftermath of the storm.
o Do brochures from companies you've never heard of regularly land on your doormat with a thud? These junk mail deliveries can reveal how the sender got your name and address, and who you are. You may wonder if your personal information is being shared without your permission.
One Guardian Money reader got in touch with fashion retailer Boden after she was bombarded with unsolicited posts when she placed her first order. Within weeks, she was sent catalogs from more than a dozen luxury brands selling clothing, food, and furniture, from Me+Em to The Fold to Biscuiters to Daylesford Organic to Loaf.
“There could be people who knew my address and sent me endless catalogs of bulky, environmentally unfriendly clothing that I would never buy,” she says. “I felt like someone was very careless with my privacy.”
“legitimate interest”
If you're seeing a growing pile of catalogs, the retailer you used may have passed your address to a data broker.
This legal trading of personal information is big business, involving companies ranging from huge multinationals to small British companies. Some perform simple activities such as collating and selling lists of names and contacts. Some combine multiple data sources to create rich profiles of individuals that may be considered intrusive.
The way businesses capture and use personal data (information such as name, email address, address and telephone number) is governed by UK data protection as set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Managed.
Have you ever wondered how the sender of your catalog got your name and address? Photo: Alicia Kanter/The Guardian
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) says that to comply, organizations need to be upfront and tell people what they want to do with their data. This includes whether you plan to use a data broker service to obtain additional information or perform profiling. You also need to notify people if you plan to share their data with data brokers. “Organizations must clarify the purpose of processing and identify the data. legal basis for processing,” the ICO said.
“In the context of data brokerage, the commonly referred legal bases are consent and legitimate interests.”
This is why the words “legitimate interest” and “consent” often feature prominently in company website privacy notices.
Andrew Northage, a partner at law firm Walker Morris, said the first clause typically covers marketing, saying: “It is reasonable for retailers to promote their products and services; “This is to avoid having a strong negative impact on customers.”
Where direct marketing is carried out electronically (including by telephone, email and messaging) rather than by post, the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 also apply, Northage said. Here, the only legal basis for data sharing is consent.
“Customers should read the retailer's privacy notice to see if it offers to share data with third parties for marketing purposes,” he advises.
They should “only consent to this sharing if they are clear about what they are consenting to.”
prospect pool
among them Privacy notice Borden said it collects personal information “just like when you shop online.” “So we can send you a tailored offer for something you actually want, like that spotted raincoat.”
The company also said it may share users' names, addresses and “order details” with data brokers Epsilon and Experian, which “manage lead pools on behalf of UK retailers.” There is.
Managed by Epsilon (part of French advertising group Publicis). Abacus Alliance. This is a large database where over 250 participating catalog retailers and multichannel retailers share the names and addresses of their shopping customers, so other members can target them with mailshots. I can.
A “lead pool” is, as the name suggests, a collection of potential customers. Analysts, or more recently, artificial intelligence software, comb through this data to identify purchasing patterns. As a result, your name may be given to a company that appears to be selling what you want to buy.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Borden or Epsilon.
Have you ever wondered what personal information is collected when you shop online? Photo: Yui Mok/PA
Borden says “We strictly comply with data protection regulations. ”Additionally, “Customers can opt out of marketing at the time of purchase, through the marketing settings in their account, or through our customer service team. .”
Readers traced the source of the junk mail to the Abacus Alliance. “I called and was told it would be six months before deliveries would stop,” she said.
If you are in a similar situation and would like your personal data removed from our database, you can: fill out the form Please contact us via our website by calling 020 89438049 or nomail@epsilon.com.
The ICO says it has received a small number of complaints regarding Epsilon and Abacus Alliance in recent years, but has “determined that there is no further action to take in response to these complaints and is now closing the process.” he added.
Please refrain from spam mail
If you are unhappy with the amount of junk mail you receive, there are several things you can do to remove your name from the broker's database.
free Mail priority service (MPS) allows you to opt out of unsolicited personal email.
Russell Roach, head of preference services at the Data Marketing Association (DMA), which runs MPS, suggests that if you receive an unwanted catalog, you should first contact the company directly. “Send a letter or email to the company and ask them to remove your personal data from their records and affiliates,” he says. “Tell me how you feel about receiving all this junk mail.
“Register with MPS and we will do it for you. Our website says: Complaints section Here, we ask you to scan or send the email you receive. My team will then contact the organization and give you 14 days to respond.
“When we talk to this organization, we argue that emailing only those who want to receive information saves time and money and reduces waste.”
There are several ways to prevent receiving unsolicited email. Photo: Martin Argules/The Guardian
If you want to take it a step further, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office, which has its own complaints process.
When signing up for a new product or service, the important things to look for are the boxes that are pre-checked. “You can check the box to say, 'I understand the terms and conditions,' but there's also a checkbox that says, 'Are you sure you want to transfer your data to some of our affiliates that offer similar services?' Sometimes it’s pre-checked,” says Roach. Uncheck this box to avoid unnecessary contact.
A growing number of companies, like DeleteMe, delete personal information sold online in exchange for a subscription fee (in this case £115 a year).
“DeleteMe exists to save people the time and headache of figuring out how to opt out of all these marketing schemes and data broker databases,” said Rob Shavel, CEO of the company. Masu.
“Hopefully, the result will be less direct mail, less spam, less robocalls, less phone calls, and less marketing that is unpleasant to you and offers little benefit to you personally.”
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