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April 13, 2005
North Dakota Sets Precedent

Hey, some actual good news about legislation regarding your personal information.

Some car manufacturers have begun to install "black boxes" in vehicles without telling you. The boxes record all kinds of stuff - whether you're wearing a seat belt, how fast you're going, etc. North Dakota, in a sadly rare example of protecting citizens from corporations, has ruled that the data in that black box belongs to the car owner.

The legislation essentially gives ownership of the data recorded by the black box to the vehicle owner. Black boxes can disclose whether the owner was wearing a seat belt, vehicle speed and other data. The measure requires a court order before any of that information can be used in court and prohibits insurance companies from requiring access to the black box as a condition for obtaining insurance coverage. North Dakota Republican State Senator Ray Holmberg introduced the measure after learning that the devices were being placed in vehicles without notice.

theNewspaper.com

Good.

Comments

Previous Comments

I concur