Driver data sales remain legal in Florida as privacy bill fails

The Florida House rejected a bill aimed at preventing the state from selling drivers’ personal data to third parties on Friday.

, Fla. — The Florida House rejected a bill aimed at preventing the state from selling drivers’ personal data to third parties on Friday.

The bill sought to limit the sharing of driver names, addresses, and email addresses. Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, R-District 91, introduced the measure after disclosing that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has earned over $490 million from selling this data in the past 15 years.

These transactions have allowed the state to sell driver information without the explicit consent of the individuals involved.

Currently, information eligible for sharing or sale to third parties includes names, addresses, and driver’s license numbers. These agreements also provide access to details such as crash history and organ donor status.

The bill aimed to impose new limits on sharing names, home addresses, and email addresses. Although it did not advance this year, some Florida drivers are hopeful that the matter will be reconsidered in the future, allowing for the enactment of additional restrictions.

It is still uncertain whether state lawmakers will revisit the proposal in a future legislative session.

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