Phil Ammann
A Senate bill filed Monday seeks to protect the privacy of Florida motorists by blocking the release of email addresses accumulated by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Filed by the Senate Transportation Committee, SPB 7040 would create public-record law exemptions for email addresses received by the department while collecting vehicle records and driver license data.
The bill is in response to the sharp rise in the number of email addresses collected since 1994, which has raised concerns over identity theft and other privacy issues.
“Under current law, the electronic mail addresses collected by the department are public records and can be obtained by anyone for any purpose,” the wording of the bill goes. “However, such electronic mail addresses are unique to the individual and, when combined with other personal identifying information, can be used for identity theft, consumer scams, unwanted solicitations, or other invasive contacts.
“The public availability of personal electronic mail addresses puts department customers at increased risk of these activities. This risk may be significantly limited by permitting the department to keep customer electronic mail addresses confidential.”
