THE Department of Motor Vehicles has been selling driver data to a multitude of groups, raking in millions of dollars.
Reports have shown that the federal agency can sell personal data to certain organizations, including private investigators and companies.
Multiple states have made millions through the sales.
The amount of details the agency gives varies from state to state.
Others that have sold driver data include Delaware, Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin, among others.
The data can be bought in bulk, too.
Oregon, for example, has 15 bulk buyers under contract, according to KATU2, an ABC affiliate.
Residents in the state are unable to opt-out, according to the outlet.
It has made over $60 million since 2020.
Driver’s data has been sold to companies like Experian and LexisNexis, alongside entities such as private investigators.
The data selling is legal under the Driver Privacy Protection Act and is allowed as long as it’s a “legitimate” entity.
The 1994 law was created when a private investigator paid for by a stalker gained access to the address of actress Rebecca Schaeffer.
He then killed her.
When vouching for the bill, Congress brought up another case where home intruders in Iowa would write down numbers of expensive cars and get the driver’s address from the DMV.
The law was meant to protect the data of those registered, but has multiple exceptions.
Senator Bernie Sanders said in 2019 that the agency shouldn’t be allowed to sell the data for profit.
How to prepare for the DMV
Here are some ways to streamline your DMV experience:
Check the DMV website for your state to see if the task can be done completely online. Many processes can now be done online, like renewing a vehicle’s registration or changing an address. Otherwise, several processes can be started online and finished at an in-person location, like renewing a driver’s license. Schedule an appointment. While walk-ins are available at all locations, having an appointment time can help reduce frustrating wait times. Check the DMV’s website to ensure you have all the necessary forms for the task. Get there early. Since many people prefer to try and tackle simple tasks on their lunch breaks or days off, showing up early can mean you’re only one of a few. Eat before you go or bring a snack. Since wait times can exceed expectations, bring some form of sustenance. Be positive. The process is temporary.“The DMV should not use its trove of personal information as a tool to make money.”
“While the internet has been an enormous source for good, all that convenience and connection has come with a price: our privacy has been invaded in an unprecedented way, in a manner that would have been unthinkable even 20 years ago,” he told Motherboard.
“Nobody—from agencies like the DMV to large corporations like Facebook and Google—should be profiting from sharing or selling personal information without meaningful consent. Congress must get serious about ending practices that violate the privacy of ordinary Americans.”
Robert Craig Daniels, a DMV records manager, told KATU2 that in Oregon, the buyers are frequently audited.
“We take privacy very seriously. I don’t want to see my information getting into the wrong hands any more than anybody else does,” Daniels told the outlet.
“We have a series of measures where we’re trying to ensure that only qualified entities are allowed to have access to DMV records.”
GettyThe data is only supposed to be in the hands of specific entities[/caption]Hence then, the article about dmv is making 60 million from selling drivers personal info to bulk buyers drivers can t even legally opt out was published today ( ) and is available on The U.S. Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( DMV is making $60 million from selling drivers personal info to ‘bulk buyers’ – drivers can’t even legally opt out )
Also on site :
- ‘Harry Potter’ Series Star Paapa Essiedu Says He’s Received Death Threats Over Snape Casting: ‘I’ve Been Told, “Quit or I’ll Murder You”’
- Door Cam Catches Healthcare Worker After 7-Hour Shift—Footage Says It All
- Dozens injured after missile strike in Southern Israel