public record access?

Question

I’m just curious if others feel the same way I do pertaining access of personal information via public records?

It seems that anyone can get access to your most personal information anonymously by using one of the many information brokers available on the internet and paying a fee for the investigative searches of “public record” databases. I know that in the instance of credit information, only those that have received permission via credit application, contract or some other form of written authorization may access this information; anyone else listed as making an inquiry that has no such authorization may be fined or sued. All other types of information appear to be available to who ever wants to snoop on you with total anonymity. I feel that legislation should be passed to prevent this unless the person of interest is notified in advance that a request for these types of reports has been requested and by whom.

Answer 1

Public records may sometimes reveal embarrassing and private information about you, but think of it this way: If someone was convicted of being a child molester, wouldn't you want to know that before you hire him to run a daycare center? Or say a person skipped town without paying alimony to his ex-wife. Would you want him to know that his ex is accessing his information about him? Or better yet, if he's a fugitive, how would you notify him of that?

The reason that records are often public is to encourage people to be honest.

Answer 2

You have to draw a line, then. Are people walking past your house allowed to glance into your open windows? Are people walking down the alley allowed to smell what you're cooking on the grill?

Can a neighbor take a long range photo of your laundry drying on the line outside?

What if someone tells someone that when they visited your house, they noticed you have doctor bills piled up on the kitchen counter?

The problem with trying to limit access to public information is that when you make everything private, then presidents can start a war if they feel like it for made up reasons, governments can imprison and torture people without telling anyone if they want to, and the idea of freedom is tossed out the window.