Smartphone maker Essential customers accidentally sent each other private data

Customers of smartphone maker Essential accidentally sent each other private information, such as copies of driver’s licenses and credit card information. This is due to an error in the configuration of the mail software of the starting smartphone maker.

In mail software Zendesk, Essential had marked the email for customers as a group email, so that replies automatically go to all recipients of the mail, claims tech site The Verge. As a result, many Essential customers received personal data from each other by email. It is unknown exactly how many people are involved.

In the email Essential asks for additional personal data to complete the order of the Essential PH-1 smartphone. Many customers have mistaken the email for phishing, but the email headers indicate that it did indeed come from the smartphone maker itself.

Essential has started the delivery of its first smartphone. Customers could order these from June. The fledgling smartphone maker has yet to respond to the email debacle. That will probably still happen. Customers have not yet received a new email.