Thousands of wearable images of Vinted users were published on a Telegram channel without their knowledge. The photos originate from sales adverts in which clothes are presented on the user's own body. Those affected reported receiving intrusive messages via Vinted.
A research team from WDR, NDR and SZ monitored the ‘Girls of Vinted’ channel for several weeks. Around 2,000 mostly male members shared pictures of women from Germany, Austria and Italy - often with direct links to their profiles. Other similar channels were also named.
The operator of the channel pretended to be a 29-year-old Italian woman and claimed that she only wanted to ensure more visibility. After being confronted by the media, the channel was deleted. Telegram has blocked the associated account.
Publishing such images without consent violates personal rights and data protection. However, legal action is difficult to take: The operators remain anonymous and Telegram is based outside the EU. Although the platform refers to the Digital Services Act, specific measures remain unclear.
Vinted explained that it is aware of the problems. Users can report inappropriate messages - but this only provides limited protection.
source: www.tagesschau.de