INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers are now looking into legislative options to stop the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles from selling drivers’ personal information following Angela Brauer’s investigation. She found the agency has made $113 million off the practice since 2011. It has sold “enhanced access” to more than 1,400 businesses including tow companies, automotive dealers, police agencies, lawyers, private investigators, and security firms.
State Senator Rodney Pol, a Democrat from Chesterton, released a statement Monday saying “With growing cybersecurity threats across the country, Hoosiers rightfully feel unsafe about the status of their personal information. It’s unacceptable that they should have to worry about big government willingly selling that personal information without their knowledge. I will be looking into legislative options to prohibit the BMV from selling personal information to private companies and individuals. It should be common sense that the government should never profit from violating Hoosiers’ right to privacy.”
Tuesday, State Representative Mike Andrade, a Democrat from Munster, said he’s concerned about the threat it poses to Indiana’s cybersecurity. “The BMV is a trusted state agency and has a responsibility to protect the personal information of the Hoosiers it serves, especially when handling information necessary to commit harmful acts like identity theft and fraud. With cyberattacks on the rise, Indiana cannot afford to have any cracks in our defenses.” He went on to say “The BMV may be profiting now, but the state as a whole will pay if the personal information of Hoosiers is not protected. I strongly encourage the General Assembly to consider and support legislation to address this weakness and show true commitment to shoring up Indiana’s cyber-defenses.”
CBS4 will be following this and continues to ask for more public records connected to the BMV selling personal data.
