Is a lender allowed to share my application activity with others?

[Nicole Heasley Beitenman]

Hey BP,

I applied for a mortgage with a lender I've used before. He was recommended to me by a friend and realtor. We did not use said friend's realtor services for this transaction.

Friend contacted my dad because the lender told him I applied for a mortgage. I don't know what other information the lender disclosed. I am NOT happy; needless to say, I will not be using that lender's services again. Maybe I should have told him to keep my application activity confidential, but I didn't think I needed to. It's not my responsibility to babysit anyone and make sure they act like a professional.

Were the lender's activities simply unethical or did he actually violate a code or law?