Shaun Dakin has done a good job of calling attention to privacy problems with the Democrats’ OFA web site. Now Stephanie Mencimer picks up the story and points out how the Democrats’ lack of adequate privacy controls may be backfiring on them by Tea Party supporters using the database to try to convert people to the Tea Party:
If you happen to receive a call from someone who says they’re phoning on behalf of Organizing for America (OFA)—the successor group to Barack Obama’s campaign machine—don’t be surprised if he or she implores you to vote for tea party favorites like Sharron Angle, Christine O’Donnell, or Rand Paul, or merely lambasts health care reform. The caller won’t actually be a member of Obama’s 13-million strong legion of campaign supporters, but rather a tea party prankster who has access to your personal information, thanks to OFA’s privacy-challenged get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaign.
Read more on Mother Jones.
Since I first checked the site, they have reportedly made a few changes. But whether the changes were in response to some of us complaining about privacy issues or because they found out that pranksters were misusing the data is unclear.