I need to find out laws regarding broadcasting personal information over scanner?

Question

I recently called the NY state troopers regarding someone driving or about to drive with a baby in front seat of vechile. While dispatch relayed information they also relayed My name, Date of birth and personal cellphone number. Is this illegal? I am very uncomfortable with the fact that ANYBODY can call my cellphone and knows my date of birth etc. I am sure there are people who sit glued to scanners waiting to hear information like that. Thanks in advance

Not encrypted, my mother in law heard the whole thing.
I will sleep tonight knowing I did what I knew was best in my heart. I couldnt imagine knowing I saw something like that then to read an accident or something wouldve shocked me.
Thanks for the support,

I was asked the information and gave it thinking they would probably check and see if I had warrants or something. I having nothing to be worried about as far as that goes thought nothing of it, Thats the only reason I gave it. Now my main concern is some jerk stealing my information and using it.

Answer 1

I have some links at the end of this post. I found several related to your question, but none directly on point.

I suggest you
* report this incident to the Internal Affairs of the Police, for them to investigate whether any internal policies were violated. Request a case #.
* report yourself to all 3 credit bureaus to have alerts placed on yourself ... tell them that you have been breached, and that it was the police who breached you. Give the case # when they ask for the police report of the breach

This is an area where the legalities are in a state of flux, because we as a society have been extremely slow to educate our legislators about the needs for legislation in this area.

There are two separate main issues here.

One is the usage of scanners to listen in on what is being done by police, taxi dispatch, other people cell phones, lap top wireless, pager systems, baby monitors, credit card # confirmations, etc. Some of this listening in is illegal, some allowed, very little enforcement to stop the illegal listening.

The other is the issue of people using this equipment that is known to be of a nature that the general public can listen in, but only a minority might actually be doing so.

In some industries, such as communication of credit card account information, there are security standards, with the credit card companies conducting periodic audits of banks, retailers, etc. In general, the level of giving a damn about security, is extremely low, and this is where it is mandated by some law or contract.

Many organizations spend zero funds on security until after they have been breached, and got bad publicity because of it.

Even then, many don't fix the problem. The state of Indiana has strict laws about putting people info at risk, but apparently this does not apply to the state government. The DMV got breached, because not enough money in budget to adhere to minimum computer security standards. Sounds to me, they at risk of being breached again.

Each enterprise, and personal user of communications equipment, needs to periodically review policies on what kind of broadcasting in the clear is prudent, like passwords, corporate secrets, confidential info on employees and customers.

In the case of the police, less people might call in with information about crimes, if they feel that their personal information will be publicized as in your case. Had you known in advance how the police were going to broadcast info about you, you might not have made this report in the first place. There might have been an accident in which the baby gets killed. You made a judgement call.

In the future, other people make judgement calls.
* The baby getting killed or injured is not a certainty
* Your personal information being publicized is a certainty
* Your personal information being abused is not a certainty ... there's probably only a few thousand people who heard it, very few of them motivated to abuse it

Perhaps the police policy deliberately this way because they are overwhelmed with citizen tips, too many to deal with, so this is one way of discourageing them.

Here are some links to the legalities of using scanners to listen in on police communications. I probably cannot find it now, but I have seen occasional articles on how easy it is to listen in on just about anything, but a lot of the listening in is illegal.
While most scanners on the market cannot read all radio frequencies that have activity, any reasonably competent technician can make equipment that can scan all frequencies, using off the shelf generally avaialble components.
http://www.scanningusa.com/faq.html
http://www.police-scanner.info/police-scanners/police-scanner-styles.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/radio-scanner2.htm
http://www.apbweb.com/
http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/?f=20020802_eff_csea_analysis.html
http://www.eff.org/Activism/privacy.kit
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/general-mp3car-discussion/69956-police-scanner.html

Here are some links about scanner technology. There are different kinds of scanners for use in different technology realities, and the technology and usage is evolving.
http://www.realpolice.net/police-scanner.shtml
http://www.winradio.com/
http://www.scancat.com/
http://www.rcfp.org/news/mag/25-1/new-thetechn.html

Here are links to laws on the topic of legalities of police use of various technologies relevant to your question about privacy of people vs. need for police to do their job.

In the context of these examples of police abuse, where they demand a person's social security #, then broadcast it for anyone else to hear, there was a US Supreme Court decision ... there may be more ... when the police stop us, or we are already stopped with our car ... we HAVE to tell them WHO we are, with SOME kind of identification. We do NOT have to tell them the kind of identificaiton that could lead to identity theft if given to the police there, where they might then repeat it over the radio.

http://www.sdreader.com/php/cityshow.php?id=C020206B
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E7DB1039F936A25753C1A963958260
http://www.computerhope.com/help/scanner.htm
http://government.zdnet.com/?p=2982

Answer 2

I have no idea the legislation. But I do recognize my practices I found out from running for a few incredibly anal businesses, and that's to NEVER proportion SSN, beginning date, town of beginning, mom's maiden identify, and only for grins I shred EVERYTHING with my identify on it earlier than it is going into the trash. About the one time you'll be able to have to proportion any of the ones is for a brand new financial institution account, a financial institution mortgage, matters like that. You can inform every person else in which to head.

Answer 3

well the damage is done. If they use the information in the ordinary course of their duties, then they would be immune from any law suits.

I think you should be commended for your action in reporting this. If you are concerned, then change the phone number.

Answer 4

Many police services now use encrypted digital services...
your info may be safe.

Answer 5

i dont think it is against the law but it is immoral and i would talk to a lawyer about it......maybe you are the one to get the law right with the way they treat people who are helping them do their jobs!!