Texas Authorities Sell Residents’ Personal Information
We all know that cybercrime, including identity theft, has flooded the world in recent years. The ever-evolving internet has opened up vast opportunities for scammers. The number of online crimes is growing, costing many people significant amounts of money and personal information. A recent study showed that 1 in every 16 American adults has fallen victim to identity theft.
Now, there’s a strange story about how the Texas state government has been selling its citizens’ personal information since 2010. According to reports, this scheme has brought in about $2.7 million since then. The irony is that the government is supposed to help protect its citizens from identity theft, not contribute to it.
Legal Loopholes and Contradictions
Texas laws are a bit inconsistent when it comes to “protecting the date of birth of a Texas citizen.” One specific law states that, due to the sensitive nature of this information, it should not be released because of the risk of identity theft. In 2015, a state appellate court declared that the date of birth of “every living person” is not public information, as it creates a risk of becoming a victim of identity theft.
Meanwhile, other laws allow Texas agencies—specifically the Department of Public Safety and the Secretary of State—to sell your name, address, and date of birth. The Department of Public Safety earned nearly $1.9 million from selling personal information, while the Secretary of State made about $720,000.
Who Buys This Data?
This personal information was provided for “data analysis by companies, insurers, tax collection agencies, legal and energy companies.” It’s also reported that these companies agreed to provide the data upon special request. Under Texas law, driver’s license data, for example, can be sold to a business for “special business needs.”
Investigators obtained a list from the Texas Department of Public Safety showing that driver’s license data was sold to a range of businesses: from towing companies to beauty salons, and even grocery stores. However, these outside companies “are not allowed to use the information for resale,” but this law is often ignored. Violations usually come to light when someone discovers a loan or credit card opened in their name.
Lack of Transparency and Security Risks
Although the Texas government technically sells this information legally (according to the Texas Public Information Act), most Texans are completely unaware of these dealings, as they do not receive a confidentiality statement from the state. The trick is that only companies receive this statement, not individual citizens.
Another alarming aspect is that some companies that purchased citizens’ personal information have been hacked or otherwise compromised. A vivid example is the Equifax breach.
“I don’t think the average person getting a driver’s license knows their information is being sold,” said Elkins, chairman of the House Committee on Government Transparency and Operation.
Cybersecurity experts explain that if a hacker has access to your date of birth, it becomes much easier to obtain, for example, your Social Security number. This opens the door to things like applying for a credit card or a SIM card in your name.