Re: Fwd: YOUR personal information in Lexis database

[gbliles@cais.cais.com (Gayle Liles)]

  In <199609200214.TAA16988@eff.org>, on 09/19/96 at 10:28 PM,
     Stanton McCandlish <mech@eff.org> said:
  
  >And this doesn't even touch the question of the impropriety, the  downright
  >sleaze, of creating a database so that cops, without any kind  of warrant
  >or subpoena, not to mention the shifty and often rather  dangerous types
  >who infest the skip tracer, process server, bounty hunter  and PI fields,
  >can "look you up".
  
  
  Interested folks might also want to check out this url as well:
  
  http://www.westpub.com/PubRecWL/prwldocn.htm
  
  which details similar services offered through Westlaw, 
  Lexis-Nexis' chief competitor.  Their People-Finder database
  does, in fact, provide social security numbers, as well as
  phone numbers and addresses.  The customer service representative I spoke to
  on the phone said that the information is offered through Information
  America, a wholly-owned subsidiary of West Publishing/ Westlaw). 
  
  A visit to the Information America website at http://www.infoam.com will
  reveal all the gory details about the People Finder, including  screen shots
  of a sample search. 
  
  Even more disturbing, you do not need a subscription to Westlaw or
  Information America  to access the database.  Through their Info Americall
  service, anyone with a credit card can have Information America conduct a
  search for them and fax or mail them the results.
    
  The Information America website also offers an 800 number for customer
  service inquiries.  I strongly encourage readers to visit the site for
  themselves, and then call them and voice their opinions.  
  
  Gayle Liles
  (gbliles@cais.com) 
  
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  gbliles@cais.com (Gayle Liles)
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