Illinois makes millions selling personal information

By Chris Essig, The Southern Springfield Bureau | Posted: Monday, April 19, 2010 6:00 am

SPRINGFIELD - This year's census has some citizens fearing they are giving away too much personal information to the federal government.

But in Illinois, state officials already sell personal information to insurance companies, federal and state government agencies, and others, raking in millions of dollars along the way.

Personal information found on driver's licenses, driving records, vehicle registration, and insurance information is available to not only law enforcement, but other outlets as well. The Secretary of State's office holds the information and charges a fee of $12 per record to companies who wish to look at the data.

Last year, the state made $61.1 million selling personal information. In 2007, the Secretary of State's office received in $64.3 mil-lion, while in 2008 it brought in $63.9 million.

The majority of the income comes from insurance companies, who primarily request information to determine if they wish to cover someone and what rates to set, said Henry Haupt, spokesperson for the secretary of state's office.

"It is a valuable tool for companies to use in their underwriting," added Kevin Martin, executive director for the Illinois Insurance Association.

Citizens do not have access to the same level of information. By contrast, citizens can view driving records, but not someone's address or other "personally identifiable information," Haupt said.

This comes at a time when some citizens are expressing concerns about filling out their census forms because they feel they are giving away too much personal information.

Citizens often are concerned about giving away personal information on a census form, but it is nothing new or unexpected, said Muriel Jackson, media specialist for the Chicago Regional Census Center.

The U.S. Census Bureau takes a number of steps to ensure confidentiality, including screening census workers, Jackson said.

In Decatur, some citizens have said the questions on the forms are too personal. Odds are, every form returned will not include every question answered, said Mark Smith, a member of the area's census committee.

"Some have a total aversion to the government," said Smith. "You either trust (the census) or you don't trust it."

The Decatur township has response rate is 75 percent, higher than the national rate of 72 percent and the state rate of 73 percent. In downtown Decatur, however, some areas have a response rate in the mid-40s.

Some national pundits have called for a national boycott of the census, including Fox News host Glenn Beck, and U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and Ron Paul, R-Texas. U.S. Census Bureau director Robert Groves recently downplayed the effect of the conservative boycott, however, saying he is heartened by the high level of participation.

Smith has not seen signs of an organized boycott in the Decatur area.

Because the census is used to determine how much federal funding an area will receive, census workers are encouraging citizens to fill out the forms.

"We need that count," said Smith.

chris.essig@lee.net / 217-789-0865

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