Law enforcement officers in New Jersey have initiated 118 class action lawsuits against data brokers who allegedly disregarded requests to remove personal information of about 20,000 officers from the internet. The lawsuits stem from the state’s Daniel’s Law, which mandates the removal of home addresses and unpublished telephone numbers of police officers, prosecutors, judges, and their families within 10 days of a takedown request. Each violation could incur a $1,000 fine, potentially amounting to billions in fines for the data brokers.
The lawsuits allege that the data brokers failed to respond to takedown requests over the course of a month, beginning on January 6. Atlas Data Privacy Corp., assisting many law enforcement officers with these requests, filed the lawsuits on their behalf. The scope of the problem is likely more extensive than indicated, as other law enforcement personnel may have also made similar requests independently, hinting at possible additional lawsuits.
These legal actions reveal the serious implications of data exposure for law enforcement personnel. Examples cited in the complaints include threats to officers’ lives and safety due to the accessibility of their personal information online. Gang members targeted one officer, intending to harm their family, while another officer faced surveillance and threats after her home address was obtained from data broker websites.
The lawsuits underscore the broader debate around data privacy and regulation of data brokers. Advocates argue that such lawsuits emphasize the need for stronger regulations to protect individuals’ personal information from being unlawfully trafficked, stressing the importance of comprehensive federal privacy laws to safeguard individuals’ rights and minimize data exploitation.
Reference:
