You owe an outstanding debt. You are aware of it, and you may even have received communications from the debt collection agency in the past. Perhaps they have called you or sent you a letter in the mail.
However, you are surprised one day when they contact you on Facebook. It feels like a violation of your privacy. This is your personal profile. Are they actually allowed to use social media to get in touch with you?
Private messages
According to the Federal Trade Commission, some contact on social media may be permitted. The debt collection company can likely send you a private message to discuss the debt. This is viewed similarly to contacting you through email.
However, it is important that they send you a private message. Many platforms, such as Facebook, allow direct messages between users but also allow public posts on someone’s profile. Depending on that person‘s privacy settings, these posts may be visible to their friends and contacts or to the general public at large.
In other words, if the collection agency writes a message to you on your Facebook wall, that could be a violation of your rights. It also means that your information is now potentially available to the public, which is something you may not have wanted. But if they send you a direct message that only you can read, then they may not have violated these FTC guidelines.
Debt collection issues
Unfortunately, consumers sometimes feel that debt collection agencies abuse their position or violate privacy rights. Be sure that you know exactly what rights you have at this time.