YOUNG DRIVERS PERSONAL DATA & THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES

YOUNG DRIVERS WHO RECEIVE THEIR FIRST LICENCE FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES FACE A FUTURE OF POTENTIAL ABUSE RELATING TO THEIR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION.

Both Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Transport Secretary,  James H. Trogdon III have to explain to young drivers and their parents why the safety and integrity of their personally identifiable information (which includes name, address, date-of-birth, drivers license particulars and Social Security number) are being placed at risk on a daily basis by consumer reporting agencies, data brokers, and so-called insurance industry support organizations.

Day in and day out, our children's driver license and vehicle records held on NC-DMV databases are downloaded and sold as a commodity to practically anyone with a ‘perceived’ legitimate purpose for acquiring it.  Which unfortunately all too often includes those individuals who do not have our youngsters best interests at heart.

The fact is, law enforcement officials, private investigators, debt collectors, sales and marketing professionals and even convicted identity thieves will all tell you that a person’s current driver’s license and vehicle ownership particulars are the most valuable data asset in today’s digital universe for finding someone and monitoring them on a continuous  basis.  How creepy is that?

 Explaining to parents that a loophole in the  Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994 permits consumer data traffickers to gather DMV records on our kids (and adults) and sell it on to practically anyone is most definitely not an acceptable explanation in 2017.

For Ever Positive, There's A Negative

A research project funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennesee (BCBST) which uses data from pharmacies, insurance claims and other sources to identify and combat opioid abuse appears to be a success.

In collaboration with Big Data analytics company Fuzzy Logix, BCBST analysts have been able to identify Tennesseans at risk through the use of sophisticated computer algorithms.

Combing through vast amounts of data to identify problematic or unlawful behavior with the sole mission of saving lives is to be commended.

However, for every positive, there is a negative, and once again we see a modern day example of how easy it is for our private lives to be scrutinized and evaluated based on data acquired from multiple different sources.

While it has to be accepted that our medical records, along with our prescription records held at pharmacies are no longer private and confidential. Perhaps the bigger issue to keep in mind is that doing something as simple as paying cash for a  prescription instead of using one's health insurance plan can place us at risk of potential scrutiny by insurers and even law enforcement authorities.

The nothing to hide, nothing to fear mantra is fine until seemingly harmless behavior gets us on a suspicious activity watch list.

So gentlemen, for privacy reasons, it's probably best for the time being if you pay for your ED medication using your health insurance plan.

For more information on this post, please feel free to contact us.

Get Smart in 2017

Some people resent being told that they should change their usernames and passwords on a regular basis.

Yes, it can be inconvenient, and a mind-numbing experience trying to come up with a new username and password (which includes numbers, and character symbols, that one can actually remember) but ignoring the inevitable is not only foolish it's downright reckless.

In fact, changing usernames and passwords for all personal and business accounts every few months is essential in today's world.


If you still have any doubts, ask someone who has had a bank account cleaned out by fraudsters. They'll be happy to tell you how long it took for them to get their money back.

Worse, for those small business owners who have had funds stolen from their checking accounts, in many cases, they will never see their money again due to loopholes in some states banking laws.

Get smart in 2017, and change your usernames and passwords on a regular basis.    

The Misguided Use of the 'P' Word

If there is one word used by business entities and organizations today which typifies's their commitment to deflecting questions from consumers relating to privacy and data security, it's the use of the word 'proprietary.'

It has to be said that it's an artful word used for getting rid of annoying consumers, journalists, and privacy advocates in emails, and other written communications because it sounds formal, and suggests to the recipient that potential legal consequences exist for those who continue to be inquisitive and seek answers to their questions.

But in reality, it is just an overused word, commonly deployed as a deflector by officials who don't care, don't understand or worse know that their employer has something to hide from the public!

When it comes to consumer privacy and data security, there are no legitimate 'proprietary' techniques for collecting, collating and disseminating consumer's personally identifiable information without their knowledge and consent.  And this includes sharing their name, address and phone number with third parties.  

Below are two definitions of the word 'proprietary' shown on the  Merriam-Webster Dictionary website:

1:  One that possesses, owns or holds an exclusive right to something;  specifically.  

2:  Something that is used produced, or marketed under exclusive legal right of the inventor or maker; specifically:  a drug (as a patent medicine) that is protected by secrecy, patent, or copyright against free competition as to name, product, composition, or process of manufacture.

The fact is when you provide a bank, supermarket or hospital with your personally identifiable information; you are not giving them the right to own and use your personal data as they see fit forever. You are merely entrusting them with your information in order for them to identify you and better serve you as a customer or patient in the future.

It's that simple.