Channel 10 Miami reported that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has been selling our names, addresses, dates of birth and a list of the vehicles that we drive … $63 million in “legally” disclosed information and a Florida judge has even validated the practice!
So, who gets all this information and what are they doing with it? According to Ann Howard of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Per federal mandate, there are companies that are entitled to this information. Insurance companies, for example, are entitled to this information. Employers are entitled to this information.”
Companies that buy this information from the state are then re-selling the data. Companies like Lexus Nexus and the nefarious sounding Shadow Soft. The information is not supposed to be sold to any company that would utilize the information for marketing or solicitation purposes. And although Florida is not selling our driver’s license and social security numbers (yet), many are uncomfortable about this information being so freely disseminated.
One possible benefit … If a vehicle manufacturer issues a recall, the Florida database could help identify the whereabouts of the current vehicle owners. That information could be uploaded to the manufacturer who could in turn notify the owners.