CNN
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The CEO of a company that makes luxury backpacks discovered one of his bags was seen on surveillance video of the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. , said he and his employees have received threats after reports that he contacted the police tip line.
Peter Deling, founder and CEO of San Francisco-based company Peak Design, told the New York Times in a report published Dec. 5 that he immediately called the police after seeing the photo of the bag. issued a statement Friday after saying he had reported the incident. Deling also told the Times that if he were asked for help by police, he would “check with his legal advisors to see what information he could release without violating the company's privacy guidelines.”
“We take our customers' privacy seriously. Misinformation is being shared on social media, which poses many serious threats to my safety as well as that of my employees.” Derring he said in a statement. “We ask that you consider the facts we provide here and maintain your confidence in Peak.”
In a Dec. 5 Times article, Deling said the tip line operator who answered his call said the gray bag worn by the alleged shooter, Luigi Mangione, was a Peak Design bag. He said he received “hundreds of calls” identifying the product.
Still, some on social media have called Derring a “snitch.” One TikTok user suggested that Peak Design bag owners remove the serial tag from their bags, while others suggested they return the bags.
Greg Ewing, a data privacy lawyer in Washington, D.C., said it's standard for companies to share customer information in response to court orders or subpoenas.
“This is the approach that most companies are going to take in this situation,” he said.
Amid data and privacy concerns, users are wondering what serial number tracking means for customers who resell products or buy used items.
“What if someone gave me this as a gift and I ended up going to jail because they committed a crime? “That's so scary,” one TikTok user posted on the social media platform.
Ewing said such a scenario is possible. The problem is that there are limits to the data companies collect, and in the case of Peak Design, the data is registered voluntarily. If a product is sold and not re-registered, the information of the original purchaser may be tracked.
“No one wants you to save them,” another TikTok user wrote in a video. Users asked what information the company could access.
“I didn't have to tell anyone anything,” the user said.
Ewing said it's common for companies to collect information about customers for marketing purposes. In the case of Peak Design, some customers registered their products to receive warranty coverage. Peak Design added that by “serializing” its products, it will be able to track issues with products, including defects.
“Tracking your purchases has been a law enforcement technique for decades. If a company refuses, all you have to do is get a warrant to access the data,” a TikTok user commented. did.
Ewing suggested the incident could be similar to a police officer following a car past a crime scene. Cars are registered through states and businesses, making it easy to track owners.
“It's a similar idea,” Ewing said. “In our economy, in our world, certain things have to be registered. Some things are optional. Consumer products like this are one of them.”
Ewing added that Derring took appropriate steps to comply with the law, and noted that consumers concerned about privacy do not need to disclose personal information.
