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Welcome to the United States, where your own government is making money on from your sensitive information... As a European, this bothers me on so many levels.

Welcome to the United States, where your own government is making money on from your sensitive information... As a European, this bothers me on so many levels. Government should not for one, sell your personal data and furthermore should make sure if it provides access to it, that it isn't used for anything marketing like.

_Codemonkeyism 7y ago
Many European countries are the same, e.g. governments made sure GDPR doesn't apply to them. For example in Germany government sells data.
- Tepix 7y ago
  What data are you referring to? Is it comparable to this personal data?
  - chopin 7y ago
    In Germany, you are required to be registered where you live. The authority collecting this data (Einwohnermeldeamt) is allowed to reveal parts of this data (addresses) to requesting parties for a fee and under some restricting circumstances (you can opt out, see https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__44.html https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__44.html).
    - mattmanser 7y ago
      In the UK we have the open electoral roll, which you can opt out of. Worse still, companies such as Experian and Equifax have open access to the full register.
  - mschuster91 7y ago
    There's multiple levels of data transfer at play: 1. Melderegisterauskunft: everyone can ask at the local city government for the current address of a specific person. This isn't free though, it costs (I believe) something about 10-20€ per request. 2. Political parties can get information on electorate: https://www.service-bw.de/leistung/-/sbw/Melderegisterauskunft++Gruppenauskunft+an+Parteien+oder+Waehlergruppen+erteilen-931-leistung-0 https://www.service-bw.de/leistung/-/sbw/Melderegisterauskun... 3. The GEZ (funding administrators for public television) automatically get all data of persons whenever they move 4. Military gets personal data automatically (we don't have compulsory service anymore, though)
- rvschuilenburg 7y ago
  This is slightly off-topic, but i found it rather funny the dutch tax office is not GDPR-compliant. https://tweakers.net/nieuws/151770/belastingdienst-voldoet-na-jaar-nog-steeds-niet-aan-avg.html https://tweakers.net/nieuws/151770/belastingdienst-voldoet-n... (article in Dutch)
- anticensor 7y ago
  EU also has a Government DPR, very much like General DPR.
Robotbeat 7y ago
The federal government in the US has pretty strict regulations with regards to PII (personally identifiable information). But apparently Florida doesn’t.
- dsfyu404ed 7y ago
  This is generally true about most subjects, not just PII.
- ilikehurdles 7y ago
  Indeed. That's why the federal government agencies hand over the PII to lowest-bidding contractors and subcontractors who then proceed to abuse and leak it.
- dahdum 7y ago
  The USPS sells address updates in bulk for marketing purposes, and they are federally regulated.
  - tssva 7y ago
    Direct Marketers must have your name and prior address in order to receive your updated address. So they are providing updated PII to those who already had your prior PII. You can opt out. The USPS makes only a few million from selling this data but saves over a billion dollars by avoiding the cost of forwarding mail sent to prior addresses. The USPS is allowed to do this under an exception for it in the Privacy Act.
    - dahdum 7y ago
      Thank you for clarifying. Is it possible the data brokers themselves are buying the update and then selling it onward then? During my last move I received a boat load of direct marketing mail after my COA but before I updated any other accounts / license (took a vacation before arriving at the new home). Many companies I'd never heard of, included some health insurance scams.

_Codemonkeyism 7y ago

Many European countries are the same, e.g. governments made sure GDPR doesn't apply to them. For example in Germany government sells data.

Tepix 7y ago
What data are you referring to? Is it comparable to this personal data?
- chopin 7y ago
  In Germany, you are required to be registered where you live. The authority collecting this data (Einwohnermeldeamt) is allowed to reveal parts of this data (addresses) to requesting parties for a fee and under some restricting circumstances (you can opt out, see https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__44.html https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__44.html).
  - mattmanser 7y ago
    In the UK we have the open electoral roll, which you can opt out of. Worse still, companies such as Experian and Equifax have open access to the full register.
- mschuster91 7y ago
  There's multiple levels of data transfer at play: 1. Melderegisterauskunft: everyone can ask at the local city government for the current address of a specific person. This isn't free though, it costs (I believe) something about 10-20€ per request. 2. Political parties can get information on electorate: https://www.service-bw.de/leistung/-/sbw/Melderegisterauskunft++Gruppenauskunft+an+Parteien+oder+Waehlergruppen+erteilen-931-leistung-0 https://www.service-bw.de/leistung/-/sbw/Melderegisterauskun... 3. The GEZ (funding administrators for public television) automatically get all data of persons whenever they move 4. Military gets personal data automatically (we don't have compulsory service anymore, though)
rvschuilenburg 7y ago
This is slightly off-topic, but i found it rather funny the dutch tax office is not GDPR-compliant. https://tweakers.net/nieuws/151770/belastingdienst-voldoet-na-jaar-nog-steeds-niet-aan-avg.html https://tweakers.net/nieuws/151770/belastingdienst-voldoet-n... (article in Dutch)
anticensor 7y ago
EU also has a Government DPR, very much like General DPR.

Robotbeat 7y ago

The federal government in the US has pretty strict regulations with regards to PII (personally identifiable information). But apparently Florida doesn’t.

dsfyu404ed 7y ago
This is generally true about most subjects, not just PII.
ilikehurdles 7y ago
Indeed. That's why the federal government agencies hand over the PII to lowest-bidding contractors and subcontractors who then proceed to abuse and leak it.
dahdum 7y ago
The USPS sells address updates in bulk for marketing purposes, and they are federally regulated.
- tssva 7y ago
  Direct Marketers must have your name and prior address in order to receive your updated address. So they are providing updated PII to those who already had your prior PII. You can opt out. The USPS makes only a few million from selling this data but saves over a billion dollars by avoiding the cost of forwarding mail sent to prior addresses. The USPS is allowed to do this under an exception for it in the Privacy Act.
  - dahdum 7y ago
    Thank you for clarifying. Is it possible the data brokers themselves are buying the update and then selling it onward then? During my last move I received a boat load of direct marketing mail after my COA but before I updated any other accounts / license (took a vacation before arriving at the new home). Many companies I'd never heard of, included some health insurance scams.