FC: Responses to California sells birth records of its citizens

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 08:25:01 -0800
Subject: Re: California sells birth records of its citizens
From: Linda Rosewood Hooper <rosewood () cats ucsc edu>
To: declan () well com
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Declan,

this is nothing new. There have been sites with free genelogical information
for years. I once called my credit union, and told them about this.
My concern was poo-pooed. So I asked the customer service rep's name and
approximate age. Within ten seconds I told her her mother's maiden
name. She was horrified:  "Who ARE you?" like I had some kind of special
spy power. I think banks have probably known about this for years
but could never publicize it without being liable for teaching people
how to steal identities. sigh. Even my hippie-dippie
Santa Cruz credit union continues to use "mother's maiden name or code word."

Linda Rosewood Hooper

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Subject: Re: FC: California sells birth records of its citizens
From: "Michael G. Thompson" <fferret () telocity com>
To: declan () well com
Date: 05 Dec 2001 11:39:08 -0500

Declan,

        Severals years back, the State of Maryland Motor Vehicle 
Administration
was going to sell the photo ID database it had accumulated to a check
validation firm in New England.  MVA claimed that this would not violate
driver privacy, but this was about 2 years after the federal government
had passed the Driver Privacy Protection Act.  It was pointed out that
this was a direct violation of the DPPA (I pointed this out to several
of my legislators myself.)  This trend of developing another revenue
stream by betraying the public trust is hardly new, but the efficiency
of the systems these days makes it easier and more profitable.

P.S.:  I'm a recent subscirber to Politech, though I have admired your
writing for some time now.  Thank you for your efforts, they are
appreciated.

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Declan, the info used to be free 
at 
<http://vitals.rootsweb.com/ca/birth/search.cgi>http://vitals.rootsweb.com/ca/birth/search.cgi 

and was a handy tool to check such things as one's true age. Steven 
Spielberg got his 1st money from an ice cream manufacturer, by promising 
him he'd direct a picture if things took off. After his great successes, 
the ice cream guy mercilessly got shined on by SS, so he sued for specific 
performance. SS said the contract he signed was invalid because he was 
under age at the time. In fact, SS's DMV, passport and other docs said he 
was born in 1948. Thanks to the available records, SS was shown to have 
forged his own docs to insure "wunderkind" status, and the contract was 
enforceable after all. Shortly after that news, the matter disappeared from 
the trades (but the ice cream guy was able to retire, thank you very much). 
This info is available to anyone, nationwide, who is willing to take the 
time and trouble to get it. Easy web access is not necessarily the gating 
item to fraud and false identities. Social Security numbers are far more 
dangerous than date of birth and mother's maiden name. I mean, one's 
mother's real maiden name can't be verified ab initio as a password anyway.
LC

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Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2001 11:09:17 -0600
From: Bruce James <bmj () amtekdist com>
Subject: Re: California sells birth records of its citizens
To: declan () well com

Most states sell Drivers license and ID card. for income. Each state does
an *out form* to delete your informatin. IT is up to you to find eack state
op-out forms. You mak *Block you auto VIN from beind accesd, but by any Cout
order. I have does this and it reall have cunt doen on spam email. You mak
be able to to it on line ort in person. Unlisted phone numers do halp. I n
most states on you block your VIn, NO one make an inquireas to the owner,
execpt the law under a couft order. PELASRE check you own state. Each state
has it own rules. Please the Police still have acess, but not the common
man.

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