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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that people should use BCC when sending mass emails?

58 replies

Hygellig · 22/09/2015 10:03

I've received a few emails recently addressed to a relatively large number of people (around 30-40). The email addresses are all in the "to" or "cc" field, so shared with everyone. There's been one from DD's playgroup, which asked us to give us an email address to save on printing costs - I was happy to do that, but didn't realise they were going to share my email with all the other parents. Another was from a music class I'd taken the DCs to in the school holidays; the person running it had my email from when I'd booked and then included me in a mass email about her future classes.

Quite possibly I'm being a bit petty over this and there are other more pressing IT concerns I could worry about. However, I thought it was good practice to BCC people, both for reasons of privacy and to have a tidier email header; this is what I've done in the past when emailing large groups of people.

OP posts:

AuntieStella · 22/09/2015 10:05

YANBU.

It's just as easy to use BCC as CC. And unless you have asked every single person on the list if they are happy for their details to be shared, you're on dodgy ground in data protection terms.

Also, I think you're spreading changes through which viruses travel.

OneBreathAfterAnother · 22/09/2015 10:07

Hm. In the examples you have given, BCC should definitely be used, if only for data protection reasons.

In general, I think it depends on the group. School/nursery/clubs should definitely BCC. At work, CC is better practice.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 22/09/2015 10:08

In terms of data protection it's illegal to share email addresses - but many small businesses don't understand that unfortunately. I've had to send a polite email to our school secretary before (who really should know better). Drives me nuts. YANBU.

wonkylegs · 22/09/2015 10:12

I suspect they don't realise they have responsibilities under the data protection act to do this perhaps a polite and gentle email pointing this out might be helpful.

Tuiles · 22/09/2015 10:12

YANBU. Local kids club near here did this once and some Forever Living bot who was on the list started spamming everyone with "change your life with green gunk" messages. After a few embarrassed apologies they learnt their lesson!

TurquoiseCat · 22/09/2015 10:15

YANBU.

But... The nursery emailed you for an email address? Did they not see the issue with THAT?

steppemum · 22/09/2015 10:19

it is lack of awareness. I find many people are just not as computer savvy as I would expect. So you mention BCC and they look blank, and you have to explain etc.

I would email both groups back and point out that you did not give permission for your email address to be shared with others and that they could be in breach of the DPA

Then suggest they use BCC.

Original poster

Hygellig · 22/09/2015 10:33

TurquoiseCat - sorry if I was unclear - I filled in my email address on a paper form and gave this to playgroup. I've asked them to BCC in future.

OneBreath - I accept work may be different (it's been years since I've worked in an office) if people need to bounce emails back and forth.

OP posts:

LurkingHusband · 22/09/2015 10:35

I find many people are just not as computer savvy as I would expect. So you mention BCC and they look blank, and you have to explain etc

Blind carbon copy ? Been around decades. Nowt to do with computers and everything to do with business and commerce.

LurkingHusband · 22/09/2015 10:38

This is why email handling applications exist. To process mailing lists in a secure and compliant manner.

e.g. www.gnu.org/software/mailman/

The fact the price tag is £0.00 is a powerful counter to any argument against using it.

Bolograph · 22/09/2015 10:40

At work, CC is better practice.

Quite. People that cc your boss ("you'll be in trouble if you don't do what I want") or their boss ("look! I'm working so hard!") might be being passive-aggressive but often it's a perfectly reasonable thing to do. People who bcc in the same situation are the sort of political menaces that are best avoided.

Thefuckinggrinch · 22/09/2015 10:41

Inter office emails I would use cc as everyone has everyones address anyway and its easier to check who you are talking to.

An organisation should ALWAYS use bcc. I've ended up with so much spam I had to set up a second account for some of these places to stop it. I tend to send in a polite do you realise this is a data protection breech email. They still do it though

Bolograph · 22/09/2015 10:45

A little known feature of gmail is that if your.name@gmail is a valid email address, your.name+anything-else@gmail is also a valid email address which is delivered to your.name. So when you give your email address out, tack on +something as a tag, a different tag for everyone you give it to. Then if they abuse it, you can just start dumping all email to that tag on the floor.

It's not foolproof, because some websites are broken and don't believe that + is a valid character in an email address. But it works pretty well in most cases.

LurkingHusband · 22/09/2015 10:45

I've ended up with so much spam I had to set up a second account for some of these places to stop it. I tend to send in a polite do you realise this is a data protection breech email. They still do it though

You could report it to the ICO. Or whistle Dixie backwards. Both are equally effective.

LurkingHusband · 22/09/2015 10:51

some websites are broken and don't believe that + is a valid character in an email address

Wait till you hit websites which don't like apostrophes. mrso'[email protected] had terrible problems .

However, pity the poor programmers, it's very hard to keep up with 1980s tech.

OldBeanbagz · 22/09/2015 10:52

It really annoys me too, especially when i get numerous emails from people who've clicked 'reply all' for something that doesn't really concern me.

I emailed a complaint to my DC's school when they did this. Thankfully they took it seriously and have BCC'd ever since though they continue to send me sports fixtures for the girls when i only have a DS at the school!

steppemum · 22/09/2015 12:00

BCC = blind carbon copy

well I didn't know that it where it came from, and it wouldn't make any difference if I did. You don't use carbons on a computer, and some people do not know what that function is, and haven't used it.

By the very fact that we are on here, we are among the computer savvy. You would be surprised how many aren't

scaevola · 22/09/2015 12:05

"By the very fact that we are on here, we are among the computer savvy. You would be surprised how many aren't"

If they're not, they really should not be in charge of people's personal details in cyberspace.

steppemum · 22/09/2015 12:08

scaevola - you are talking about someone working in a nursery, sending an email out to parents. I hardly think that their computer ability was at the top of their list when employing someone to look after the kids.

LurkingHusband · 22/09/2015 12:10

you are talking about someone working in a nursery, sending an email out to parents. I hardly think that their computer ability was at the top of their list when employing someone to look after the kids.

So that excuses breaking the law ?

steppemum · 22/09/2015 12:13

no. But if you look at my original post, it said that this come from lack of awareness.

They need to be told.

scaevola · 22/09/2015 12:15

But the duties appear to include handling personal data.

If someone is not competent for that, the role should be re-assigned to someone who is. Or training provided.

If you don't have consent to pass information to third parties (which include other clients) it's a breach. And as it's a right royal pain in the bum to run two lists (for opted in, and default not done so) it's much easier to use BCC.

tectonicplates · 22/09/2015 13:04

YANBU. I've been caught in the middle of a reply-all argument before - I suddenly had to wade through fifty emails of people shouting at each other.

Also, I once received a speculative CV from a job seeker who'd sent it to loads of companies and I could see exactly who. Very unprofessional!

CC is appropriate for some work emails, but only when all the recipients know each other.

Tuiles · 22/09/2015 13:23

I've just remembered another funny email incident, not quite cc/bcc but just as bad - someone once sent an email to the entire corporate (massive company) email list. The ensuing debacle lasted days as some plonkers didn't ignore it and choose to reply all to ask why they were getting the emails. Everyone's inboxes filled up, tech support were in despair. Each time it seemed to have died down someone would get back from holiday and revive it. I think in the end one of the senior bods had to weigh in with a rather irate email telling everyone to grow up!

I think they hid the 'global' email group after that!

M4blues · 22/09/2015 13:33

I know what it is but I'm still unsure how to use it. Mind you, I've never needed to send mass emails whilst protecting individual privacy.
So, if I wanted to send an email to 10 people and protect the privacy of all, do I just choose one for the top and BCC the others and they all get an individual copy?

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