Customers using the Coles flybuys card or online shopping service are having their personal details sent to up to 30 other companies owned by the same corporation and to third parties in at least 23 other countries.

Last week Coles, which not only sells groceries but offers insurance and credit cards, unveiled plans to invest $1.1 billion in the next three years building 70 new supermarkets and creating more than 16,000 jobs. But it also released a more detailed description of its privacy policy.





Customers were told that by using flybuys or online shopping they consented to a privacy policy that allowed data collected to be shared with other companies in the Wesfarmers group, including Kmart, Bunnings and Officeworks. But the retail giant also revealed that the personal information it collects on its customers might be sent to nations such as China, Pakistan, the Philippines, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, the US and Britain.

Under the Coles policy, personal information, defined as data that identifies someone or allows a person's identity to be ascertained, can be used in conducting risk assessments for credit and insurance. This can include name, contact and household details, transaction history and buying habits.