Consumer backlash erupts after the backpack’s manufacturer was identified in the video of the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting

Consumer backlash erupts after the backpack’s manufacturer was identified in the video of the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting

The CEO of a company that makes high-end backpacks said he and his employees received threats after he reportedly contacted a police hotline when he was seen carrying one of the bags in the surveillance video of the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Company discovered.

Peter Dering, the founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Peak Design, issued a statement Friday after telling The New York Times in a report published Dec. 5 that he contacted police as soon as he saw photos the bag I saw. Dering also told the Times that if police asked for help, he would “check with his general counsel about what information he could release without violating the company’s privacy policies.”

“We take our customers’ privacy seriously. Misinformation is being spread on social media, which has resulted in many serious threats not only to my safety, but also to our employees,” Dering said in the statement. “I ask that you consider the facts we provide here and continue to instill confidence in Peak.”

Dering told the Times in the Dec. 5 story that the person at the helpline who answered his call said there had been “hundreds” of calls involving the gray bag carried by suspected gunman Luigi Mangione. identified as a peak design item.

Still, some have taken to social media to call Dering a “snitch.” One TikTok user suggested owners of Peak Design bags remove the serial number labels on their bags, and others suggested returning bags.

According to Greg Ewing, a privacy lawyer in Washington, D.C., it’s standard practice for a company to share customer information in response to a court order or subpoena.

“That’s the approach most companies will take in this situation,” he said.

Are companies violating consumer privacy?

Due to data and privacy concerns, users have asked what serial number tracking means for customers who resell products or purchase used products.

“What if someone gave this to me and now I was going to jail because they committed a crime because you tried to tell someone it was my backpack? This is very scary,” one TikTok user posted on the social media platform.

Ewing said such a scenario is possible. The problem is that companies are limited by the data they collect and in Peak Design’s case the data is registered voluntarily. If a product is sold and not re-registered, information can be traced back to whoever made the purchase first.

Another TikTok user wrote in a video, “Nobody wants you to save the day.” The user asked what information the company had access to.

“You didn’t have to tell anyone,” the user said.

Ewing said it’s common for companies to collect information about their customers for marketing purposes. In the case of Peak Design, some customers have registered products to receive a guarantee. Peak Design added that the “serialization” of its products allows the company to track product issues, including defects.

“Purchase tracing has been a law enforcement technique for decades. “You can just get a warrant to access the data if the company refuses,” one TikTok user commented.

This incident may be similar to police officers chasing a car as it drives through a crime scene, Ewing suggested. Cars are registered by states and companies, making them easy to trace back to their owners.

“It’s a similar idea,” Ewing said. “In our economy, in our world, certain things require registration. There are certain things that can be optionally registered – consumer goods like this are one of them.”

Ewing added that Dering took the right law-abiding steps and emphasized that consumers who care about privacy should not have to share their personal information.

CNN’s Chris Boyette contributed to this report.

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