On 3/6/2014 11:08 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 06 Mar 2014 10:12:26 -0600, Moe DeLoughan
wrote:

On 3/6/2014 9:26 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 06 Mar 2014 07:20:12 -0600, Moe DeLoughan
wrote:



Unlike law enforcement agencies, which often have policies to purge
their computers of license records after a certain period of time, the
data brokers are under no such obligation, meaning their databases
grow and gain value over time as a way to track individuals movements
and whereabouts.

Massachusetts private investigator Jay Groob said he uses the license
plate database kept by a third data broker, TLOxp, paying $25 for a
comprehensive report from the Florida-based companys "very
impressive" database of a billion-plus scans.

Groob said he would use the database to track a missing person or
conduct background invesÂ*tigations for child custody or marital
infidelity litigation. Groob said he "absolutely" foresees vehicle
location data becomÂ*ing part of private investigators standard toolkit.

Entire article at

http://betaboston.com/news/2014/03/0...repo-industry/


If you use credit/debit/loyalty cards, "big data" knows where you go
and what you bought there anyway.


Yes, but anyone with the money can buy access to these databases and
use it for whatever purpose they wish. If you have somebody who really
doesn't like you, imagine what they could do to/with you using those
resources. There's nothing stopping nuts and stalkers from buying
information on the people they're obsessed with.

I am not quite sure how much damage they could do to me by knowing
where I shop.

They also know where you live, where you work, how much you earn, how
much sick and vacation leave you earn and use, where you get your
insurance, what deductions are taken from your check (and for what),
what kind of car you drive, where your car is frequently located, what
you've been buying.

So if an employer doesn't want to hire a smoker, or a gun owner, or
anybody else whose personal preferences he doesn't support, it makes
it easier to screen applicants. Easier also to identify current
employees as potential risks - do they buy a lot of booze? Charge a
lot of prescription meds? Buy a lot of weapons? Oops, better keep an
eye on them. Better still, let them go. Too risky.
All of that is perfectly legal, too. There are no laws against
discriminating against people on the basis of what they buy or use.

If I had a mistress or a dope dealer
I wouldn't park in front of their house anyway. ;-)

Insurance companies are using the license plate data to determine if
people are lying to them about the use of properties they're insuring.
For instance, if a person claims it's a vacation property, they're
looking to see if the owners are actually using it as their primary
residence. Or if there's a regular listing of plates that don't belong
to the owner, it suggests they're using it as a rental.