Probe targets Miami-Dade police misuse of consumer data (ChoicePoint)

[Newsjock]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/12665749.htm

Associated Press

MIAMI - Investigators are looking into allegations that an officer at the Miami-Dade Police Department misused identification and passwords that provide access to consumer data maintained by ChoicePoint Inc.

The company, based in Alpharetta, Ga., said in a posting Friday on its Internet site that the U.S. Secret Service was investigating the matter, which involved the data of 4,689 consumers.

The employee, ChoicePoint said in a letter to those consumers, was unauthorized to used the account and "had accessed information illegally and acted outside the scope of his employment." Consumer information accessed included Social Security data, drivers license numbers and dates of birth.

No other details were provided, and the company added that it was unclear if any identity theft actually occurred.

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[strategery blunder]

1. Which is why consumers, and not companies

such as ChoicePoint, should be the owners of their personal information.

If a consumer wants to sell his/her information to individual corporations (such as providing marketing data in exchange for discounts like the "preferred customer" cards in grocery stores), that's fine. But corporations should not be allowed to sell such personal information to each other.

All transactions involving such personally identifiable information must have the consumer's participation as a party to the contract.

[arcane1]

2. ChoicePoint, again....

no surprise there... weren't they the ones accused of purging the voter rolls in FL too?