A couple of weeks ago, Disney CEO Bob Iger was forced to respond to concerns about the “magic” wrist bands guests will use as part of Disney’s MyMagic+ program. One particular member of Congress, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass) sent a letter to Disney’s chief expressing concerns about the data gathered from the use of the bracelets and how this would adversely affect children.
While the company released a general statement to the press regarding the letter, Bob Iger wrote a somewhat scathing response back to Markey, making it very clear that he was offended by the claims the representative put forth in his letter.
Says CEO Bob Iger:
We are offended by the ludicrous and utterly ill-informed assertion in your letter… that we would in any way haphazardly or recklessly introduce a program that manipulates children, or wantonly puts their safety at risk. To ensure that you fully understand our practices as they pertain to children, and our commitment to our guests’ privacy, let me be clear and reiterate the basic facts. MyMagic+ is a completely optional program that was designed with privacy controls from the outset.
He then goes on to say that it is “truly unfortunate that you chose to publicly attack us before taking the time to review our policies and/or contact us for information.” To really send his point home, Iger attached the URL to Disney’s corporate privacy policy as well as other relevant documents in his letter to Markey.
To be clear, MyMagic+ is an optional program that was designed to simplify the guest experience. Not only are guests not required to use this system, but the data gathered will not in any way be used to market to children.
How do you feel about the privacy concerns surrounding MyMagic+?
