Ryan Nicol
State Rep. Matt Willhite is filing legislation that would seek to prevent the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DMV) from disseminating driver’s personal information to third-party entities.
Willhite says the bill (HB 1099) was filed in response to reports that DMVs in multiple states have profited by selling drivers’ identifying information to private investigators, credit rating agencies and other outside groups.
That information can include a person’s name and address. An individual’s date of birth, phone number and email address are also at times disclosed as well.
Reports have shown that Florida’s DMV has also participated in this practice. Floridians’ information was sold to marketing firms, bill collectors and other organizations.
Those sales totaled more than $77 million in revenue in 2017, according to one report.
The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), approved by Congress in 1992, is supposed to offer protections for drivers’ personal information. But some legal analysts say that law is inadequate and contains several loopholes.
Willhite says he’s looking to strengthen protections for Florida drivers at the state level with his legislation.
“This issue is not unique to Florida,” Willhite said.
“As the third-largest state in the union, it is time that Florida joins the eleven other states that have already added further restrictions to DPPA. After speaking with the Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, we believe that this legislation is a step in the right direction.”
Willhite’s measure would exempt drivers’ personal information from the state’s public records laws. It would also allow drivers to submit a request to the DMV to block disclosure of that information, except as required by law.
For instance, a law enforcement agency seeking information as part of an investigation would not be blocked by Willhite’s bill.
If successful, the measure would go into effect on July 1, 2020.
One comment
The Swampfox
January 8, 2020 at 4:50 pm
I DON’T OFTEN AGREE WITH DEMOCRATIC POLICY. HOWEVER IN THIS CASE I DO. I’M SICK OF JUNK MAIL, ROBO PHONE CALLS, TEXTS YOU NAME IT. I DO NOT WANT MY PERSONAL INFORMATION SOLD! IF ANYONE IS GOING TO SELL IT, IT WILL BE ME, AND GUESS WHAT? IT WILL BE ME GETTING PAID FOR IT NOT THE STATE, NOT, SOME AGENCY, NO ONE PERIOD. AS FOR INVESTIGATIONS, I AGREE THAT SHOULD BE THE EXCEPTION! IF STATES WANT MORE MONEY TO SPEND I SUGGEST THEY CUT THEIR SPENDING BY ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY PROGRAMS ETC.
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