DATA BROKERS TAKE THE FIFTH

The Energy and Commerce Committee has been investigating the activities of data brokers selling non-public telephone records over the Internet. In June 2006, 11 data brokers responded to subpoenas to appear before the committee.

"Did you and your company, Worldwide Investigations, obtain and sell consumer cell phone records and other non-public personal information that was obtained through pretext, lies, deceit or impersonation," Kentucky Republican Ed Whitfield asked John Strange of Denver.

Strange replied: "Mr. Chairman, at this time I'd like to invoke my Fifth Amendment right."

The other 10 data brokers proceed to invoke their own rights not to incriminate themselves.

"What we have found to date has been eye-opening to say the least," Kentucky Congressman Ed Whitfield said of the panel's four-month investigation. "There are hundreds of data broker companies operating on the Internet."

"They offer just about any non-public information under the sun -- cell phone, landline call records, bank account activity, post office boxes, credit card transaction histories -- it goes on and on."

"I doubt very many Americans know that their personal and professional lives are this vulnerable to casual examination by strangers, even in the age of the Internet," said Representative Joe Barton, chairman of the full Energy and Commerce Committee.

"Unfortunately, brokers routinely lie to get their hands on this information and then sell the records to buyers who evidently don't care. And right now, some of this, maybe even all of it, seems to be legal."

KnightsBridge Castle supports H.R. 4943 to restrict access to phone records. H.R. 4943 is currently pending before the full House as one way of slowing the trend toward uncontroled access of personal information capable of causing harm. Additional legislation to protect privacy is clearly needed. However, by restricting the distribution of personal information, data brokers will need to accept a fall in revenues.