Around 20 people came to the Worth County Commission Tuesday to protest their personal private data being exposed online for anyone to see. Data being published includes vehicle identification numbers, personal property lists, real estate lists, names, addresses, and taxes paid. A scammer or someone digging up dirt could access this data and figure out someone’s net worth.
Julia Wideman, who acted as the spokesperson for the group, said that for the county, or other counties, to allow such information to be posted violates both state and federal Drivers Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) laws. The Missouri Driver Privacy Protection Act restricts the release of personal information such as names, addresses, and date of birth from motor vehicle and driver licensing records. 18 US Code 2721 is the federal law. It prohibits state departments of motor vehicles and any officer, employee, or contractor from releasing personal information without the express written consent of such individual. Exceptions are made for matters such as motor vehicle or driver safety, theft, emissions, product alterations, recalls, or advisories, performance monitoring by manufacturers, and removal of non-owner records.
In 2021, after Assessor Carolyn Hardy retired, the county solicited bids for a new software system to handle county records. The thought was to make the workload easier for the new Assessor and the new Tax Collector. Two companies, Vanguard and Devnet, submitted bits. Devnet submitted a bid for $20,870 for initial costs plus $15,290 a year for the next 2-5 years. The county says Vanguard’s bid was considerably higher and did not meet the county’s specifications. Currently, Gentry County uses Vanguard, and people have limited access to tax records.
Hardy, who was in attendance, said that previously, the county and other county assessors could not obtain VIN numbers through the Missouri Department of Revenue. The association that represents county assessors statewide negotiated with the Department of Revenue to turn those records over, with the stipulation that the information was only to be used for assessment purpose and for the tax collector to collect taxes on. The information was not to be shared for any other purpose. She said she feared that if this didn’t get resolved, the county, and others like it, would lose access and would have a much harder time accurately assessing the value of peoples’ cars.
Wideman said that she understood why a lot of records need to be public under the Missouri Sunshine Law, but that there were no safeguards and that certain personal private info was meant to be protected. “The Sunshine Law was meant to protect the people from the government,” she said. “That is why when people want records, they have to make requests.”
No immediate decisions were made at the forum or the meeting. “This meeting is to hear your concerns,” said Presiding Commissioner Jubal Summers. Subsequently, the county put the matter on the agenda for 10:30 Monday morning, weather permitting. There is possible snow forecast for that day. The commissioners said that the first step was to talk to the county attorney and talk with Devnet and see what their options were. Wideman said she understood that the county chose Devnet because of the cost. “People would be OK if the county limits the information people can access,” she said. “I don’t want all of my info in one easy to search place.”
As an example, Hardy said that when she was Assessor, someone using a fictitious name and address requested that she turn over information about all the real estate and properties in the county and that she do it for free. “I had to turn it over, because the Attorney General was threatening to sue,” she said.
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