Recently, consumer backlash was raised against Peak Design CEO Peter Dering after he had contacted the police when the high-end backpack made by his company was identified in a surveillance video of the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Dering reported seeing the bag used by the shooter, Luigi Mangione, and without further ado, called a police hotline tip. The CEO gave them a tip that the bag seemed to be from one of his company's products. It was at this point that Dering collaborated with law enforcement in his effort but has since faced a backlash because some people think that he breached consumer privacy.
The backlash grew as misinformation went viral on social media. CNN reported that some users accused Dering of being a "snitch," and suggested that Peak Design customers should remove serial tags from their bags so that they wouldn't be identified. TikTok users raised concerns on how such information might be used, questioning whether the customers who bought the second-hand bags could also be implicated if their bags were linked to a crime.
One user was afraid that they would be persecuted for just owning a Peak Design bag once owned by a suspect.
Experts Respond to Peak Design CEO Backlash
Though Dering said his company takes privacy seriously, legal experts clarified that companies usually share customer information only when compelled by a court order or subpoena. This opinion was shared by Greg Ewing, a data privacy lawyer, who explained that various serial numbers are often tracked merely because of warranty purposes. Serially coded devices are not at all unexpected given how some customers would voluntarily input or register their products.
Again, Ewing said this can be compared to when a vehicle is traced, a tracing very easily possible through state registrations of the vehicle.
However, ABC San Francisco shared that Dering denied that they helped the investigation. At the same time, CNN reports stated that he claimed to have operated within the law and respected customers' safety and privacy.
Ultimately, Dering noted that customers have no legal duty to register their products with Peak Design in case they feel that the company is violating their right to privacy. As a way of responding to the criticism, Dering asked people to think of the facts of the matter and to have confidence in the company's approach.
Originally published on VC Post
