This is frustrating and disappointing. Richard Meadows reports that despite the fact that more than two years after 92,000 New Zealand motorists opted out of having their personal details in the Motor Vehicle Register sold to third parties, their information – including names, addresses, and dates of birth – is still being sold.
Assistant Privacy Commissioner Katrine Evans said one of the main catalysts was companies using addresses for direct marketing, but there were also real risks for individuals.
“We found that contact details were being used improperly, by violent former partners, or for criminal purposes,” she said.
More than 92,000 New Zealanders have since opted for privacy, but data obtained from NZTA under the Official Information Act suggests it may have been in vain. The agency’s whitelist of authorised organisations made 5864 requests for the details of opted-out drivers between May 2011 and June this year. Every single one was approved.
Read more on Stuff.