DVLA Sell “Private” Information

The DVLA has been reported to make £21.8 million by selling information of drivers to parking enforcement companies. You may think because of technology now with CCTV and number plate recognition amongst several other technological advances that they can catch you if you break their parking rules but they still seek the purchase of information from the DVLA. This costs the company £2.50 for every person that they buy information for, giving information like name/address/age etc.

Controversy
The reason that they are purchasing these details is so that they can send you the fine by the use of mailing the documents. Mail is often a slow process and can slow the offender down in being able to make the payment due to the mail not arriving in time, if you have ever had a parking fine you will realise that if you don’t pay it by the time they tell you too the price can increase massively. They spend £2.50 on each person because they can get a lot more money back in return of a late payment and the cost of posting the fine.

Should the DVLA be allowed to sell private details to 3rd party companies? This has met many peoples disapproval with many angry at both the DVLA and the companies purchasing the details as almost anyone can purchase this information. Another controversial factor is that in the last few years it was reported that more than 20 firms had been banned from purchasing information from the DVLA due to improper use, the distribution of these so called “private” details seems to being handed out without any care of who they are handing it out too. Nothing seems to be private information anymore, whatever happened to the data protection act?

source:Motoring.co.uk