(Fwd) FWD: Texas Driver's License database on the web

Just in case it's not clear from the headers, this is being posted
by Peter Trei.

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Some forwards removed.

From: Jim Thompson <jim@hosaka.SmallWorks.COM>

I got a '503 Service Unavailable  this server has been placed offline
by the operator.  Please try again later.'  response the first two
times I tried.  But then...

Oh look.  A record of which elections in which you've voted.

If you don't think this is the likely future, you're dead wrong.

Jim

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From: Brent Heustess <heustess@mail.utexas.edu>

   This is a really spooky web site <http://www.publiclink.com>.  You can
search 17 million Texas drivers by name, driver's license number or
license plate number.  When you find a person, you can then find everyone
at that address with a license.  You can even find everyone with the same
9-digit zip code.  The record does not have a GIF of the photo, but it
has everything else on the license.

   Did Psychos-R-Us request this site?  "Could you create a database so I
don't miss anyone when I go on a killing spree on the 900 block of
Rosewood?"
   "28 my ass.  I just checked the web and it says you were born 1965.  Not
ready to admit to be post-30?  I'm not buying the 'I weigh 110' either.  I
read 118 plain as day."
   "I can't believe it.  That asshole just cut me off.  Well, Mr. ZBW-446,
I guess a little midnight visit is in order to 1918 Grover St.  Prepare to
be stalked."
   "Johnny, I looked up your record last night and I couldn't believe my
eyes.  You're livin' in sin with that Sally Jenkins slut.  How could you do
this to your Dad & me?  You move out now or we're gonna cut off your
college money!"

   Public Link says this is public information, but where are the good old
days when you had to have a friend down at the Dept of Public Safety who
would look plate numbers up for you?  If it was good enough for Rockford,
it's good enough for me.  Suprress your phone number & address from the
phone book, but then it shows up in a searchable database on the web.
Lot of good that did you.  Now all those 7th Day Adventists know excatly
where you live.  Privacy, schmivacy.

Ta,
Brent

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                        Public Link Corporation
                   Public Databases on the Internet

             5930-E Royal Lane Ste 173, Dallas, TX 75230
                            (214) 890-6817

Welcome to Public Link Corp., the Information Source of the Internet.
We are here to provide public access to public information and public
databases.

The company uses data obtained from public sources currently available
through the Freedom of Information Act and Open Records Laws. We
believe it is the citizen's right to have this information available
for their use.

We expect to grow our database offerings to you over the next several
months. Many times you have needed the type of information we provide
and have had to use varous methods to obtain the information. Some of
these methods you would prefer not to have to use again. Not any more!
Just sit back and let us do the work for you. If you have a special
suggestions or request, please let us know. Come and join us as we
enter the information age!

- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------

TexasDriverLink
State of Texas Licensed Drivers. Over 17,000,000 Texas Drivers License
Information. Updated weekly. This database contains the information
contained on a person's drivers license. Data included are Name,
Address, Weight, Birth Date, Sex, Expiration Date, Status (Active or
Suspended), Class of License, and Restrictions. This database does not
contain information on a person's traffic tickets, DWIs, or Insurance
information. Search either by name or if you know the drivers license
number, search by number.

TexasTagLink
State of Texas License Plates. Over 16,000,000 license plates with
accompaning information. Updated weekly. This database contains the
information about the owner of a vehicle. This database does not
contain insurance information. Search currently only available by
plate number.

TexasDallasVoterLink
Registered voter role for Dallas County Texas. This database also
contains voting history for each of the one million registered voters.
This database is updated quarterly.

TexasArrestLink

EvictionLink

CivilCourtLink

PropertyOwnerLink

MarriageRecordLink

- --
Jim Thompson / Smallworks, Inc. / jim@smallworks.com
      512 338 0619 phone / 512 338 0625 fax
HTML:  The 3270 of the 90s

>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>From: Brent Heustess <heustess@mail.utexas.edu>
>
>   This is a really spooky web site <http://www.publiclink.com>.  You can
>search 17 million Texas drivers by name, driver's license number or
>license plate number.  When you find a person, you can then find everyone
>at that address with a license.  You can even find everyone with the same
>9-digit zip code.  The record does not have a GIF of the photo, but it
>has everything else on the license.

Those who tell the government the actual address where they sleep at night
have no expectation of privacy.  Most governments don't care if you
substitute an accomodation address.  If you find a government that does
care, shop around until you find another that doesn't.  I've been turned
down exactly once in my career when I attempted to use an accomodation
address for DMV purposes.  I went elsewhere.

DCF

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In <3.0.1.32.19970616231344.006959d8@panix.com>, on 06/16/97 
   at 11:13 PM, Duncan Frissell <frissell@panix.com> said:

>Those who tell the government the actual address where they sleep at
>night have no expectation of privacy.  Most governments don't care if you
>substitute an accomodation address.  If you find a government that does
>care, shop around until you find another that doesn't.  I've been turned
>down exactly once in my career when I attempted to use an accomodation
>address for DMV purposes.  I went elsewhere.

I have allways prefered to have any government registrations done in a
state that I *do not* reside in.

- -- 
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
William H. Geiger III  http://www.amaranth.com/~whgiii
Geiger Consulting    Cooking With Warp 4.0

Author of E-Secure - PGP Front End for MR/2 Ice
PGP & MR/2 the only way for secure e-mail.
OS/2 PGP 2.6.3a at: http://www.amaranth.com/~whgiii/pgpmr2.html                        
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On Wed, 11 Jun 1997, Peter Trei wrote:

>    Did Psychos-R-Us request this site?  "Could you create a database so I
> don't miss anyone when I go on a killing spree on the 900 block of
> Rosewood?"

The (very very very very very) minor redeeming factor is that you have to
be someone with knowledge of someone's valid Texas driver's license.  So
it's not *FULLY* available on the net.  Though, someone will probably leak
a userid in the next week or so, and then anyone can use it...

Why do people do these things?  (I wonder if publiclink is actually
physically located in Texas..)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan Anderson - <Pug Majere>     "Who knows, even the horse might sing" 
Wayne State University - CULMA   "May you live in interesting times.."
randerso@ece.eng.wayne.edu                        Ohio = VYI of the USA 
PGP Fingerprint - 7E 8E C6 54 96 AC D9 57  E4 F8 AE 9C 10 7E 78 C9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 11 Jun 1997, Ryan Anderson wrote:
>On Wed, 11 Jun 1997, Peter Trei wrote:
>
>>    Did Psychos-R-Us request this site?  "Could you create a database so I
>> don't miss anyone when I go on a killing spree on the 900 block of
>> Rosewood?"
>
>The (very very very very very) minor redeeming factor is that you have to
>be someone with knowledge of someone's valid Texas driver's license.  So
>it's not *FULLY* available on the net.  Though, someone will probably leak
>a userid in the next week or so, and then anyone can use it...
>
>Why do people do these things?  (I wonder if publiclink is actually
>physically located in Texas..)
>
Why do people do what things?

Do you mean:
Why does the state of Texas collect this information and sell it
to anyone who is willing to write a check?

or:
Why would anyone take this publically availiable information
and make it available to the public?


When my libertairan streak is in full flood, I think that since
this information was collected by government employees and
paid for by tax dollars, that it should be availiable to anyone
who wants it, for (minimal or) no cost.

Of course, the better solution is to not collect the information
at all. (Not selling it just means that people can buy it on the
black market, or in the case of TRW, etc; buy legislatures)


-- Marshall

Marshall Clow     Aladdin Systems   <mailto:mclow@mailhost2.csusm.edu>

"In Washington DC, officials from the White House, federal agencies and
Congress say regulations may be necessary to promote a free-market
system." --  CommunicationsWeek International April 21, 1997

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At 05:01 PM 6/11/97 -0400, Ryan Anderson wrote:
>The (very very very very very) minor redeeming factor is that you have to
>be someone with knowledge of someone's valid Texas driver's license.  So
>it's not *FULLY* available on the net.  Though, someone will probably leak
>a userid in the next week or so, and then anyone can use it...

I am not in Texas, and I have used the system.  I took email name I suspected 
were in Texas and started looking up voter and DMV info.  Some I couldn't 
find, but I hit several people I have never met.  For some, I did a whois on 
their domain name and used that city to narrow the search.

I understand the site is now password protected, but they offer accounts to 
others who are not in Texas.


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  -- Robert Costner                  Phone: (770) 512-8746
     Electronic Frontiers Georgia    mailto:pooh@efga.org  
     http://www.efga.org/            run PGP 5.0 for my public key