LOS ANGELES - The California Department of Motor Vehicles has been generating revenue of $50 million a year by selling drivers’ personal information, media outlets report.
In a public record acts request, "VICE" obtained a DMV document that revealed that the revenue was generated by selling information to private companies. This includes information such as names, physical addresses, and car registration information.
The document didn't name any specific companies, but said the list may include insurance companies, vehicle manufacturers, and prospective employers.
VICE's past investigation into DMV's across the country found that data broker LexisNexis and consumer credit reporting agency Experian were active participants in buying data. However, VICE's report stated that it's unclear if the California DMV has recently sold data to those sorts of entities.