Opting out is hard to do

November 17, 2003 - Privacy News

Private Citizen, a company that, for a fee, has been helping people "opt-out" of data sharing schemes for more than a decade by sending in opt-out notices to other companies that collect and share data. Recently, Acxiom has made it much more difficult to opt out of their databases.

Instead of allowing Private Citizen to send in opt-out notices (signed by the individual) in bulk, Acxiom is now requiring that individuals send in their own opt-out notices.

Acxiom is a data aggregator that has collected personal information on almost 200 million people, mostly from public records, product warranty cards, and other sources. Most people are unaware that Acxiom is collecting personal information about them.

More information is available at <http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,61240,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1>.

Last updated November 17, 2003