Commerce ministry warns businesses against sharing data on untrusted platforms

The Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday warned companies and institutions against sharing or uploading their commercial, personal, or financial data on untrusted websites and online platforms that claim to safeguard digital identities for businesses but lack official status, making it difficult to verify their purpose or data protection measures.

The ministry stressed the importance of not providing any unverified party with information such as commercial registration details, tax numbers, national addresses, contact numbers, bank accounts, IBANs, documents, or any identifying data, unless the entity and the purpose for data collection, as well as the legal basis for processing, have been confirmed.

The ministry noted a rise in fake websites and platforms that claim to offer various services and ask users to upload and consolidate their data in one place, which could expose businesses and individuals to risks of data misuse or sharing with third parties, especially when the platform operator, privacy policy, and intended use are unclear.

The ministry also clarified that the use of logos or names resembling those of government entities by some platforms does not indicate any official affiliation.

Call to use official channels

The ministry urged businesses and individuals to access government services only through official channels and platforms, to verify the service provider before entering or uploading any data, and to avoid sharing passwords, verification codes, or login credentials for government or bank accounts with any party.

The ministry added that data protection is a shared responsibility, calling on the public to report any suspected commercial or online violations through official channels, and to avoid responding to links or services that request more information than is necessary to provide the service.