Motorola announced on Friday 3rd Feb, that approximately 100 of their Xoom tablets that had been refurbished and sold online, still contained data from their previous owners.
"Approximately 100 out of a batch of 6,200 Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi tablets that were refurbished by Motorola Mobility may not have been completely cleared of the original owner's data prior to resale," Motorola said in a statement.
The affected tablets were sold between October and December 2011. Some of the information that may have been left on the tablets, includes photographs, documents, and user names and passwords for social networks and other apps.
This comes as a stark reminder to consumers to check the accreditations and processes used when their redundant equipment is handed back.
Retailers and manufacturers are also reminded that as part of their commitment to the Data Protection Act, they should have strict processes in place to ensure the correct procedures are used when it comes to refurbishing equipment and wiping data.
PHS Datashred is an approved and accredited IT equipment refurbisher, operating to BS EN15713 standard for data destruction, using HMG Infosec data wiping standards.