State to stop selling driver's license data in bulk

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will no longer sell driver's license and vehicle registration data in bulk.

Instead, auto insurance companies, media organizations, and firms that collect the information for databases will have to pay the state $5 per query.

Deputy Public Safety Commissioner Mary Ellison says the change is meant to improve data security.

"People are very concerned about data ending up in the wrong hands for the wrong reasons, and so we find that providing bulk data to companies does not allow us to adequately audit to make sure that they're using it according to federal and state law," Ellison said.

The Insurance Federation of Minnesota, which represents auto and life insurance companies, says the higher data costs will likely be passed on to customers. Car dealers say the new rules will make it harder to issue safety recalls. Ellison says those claims are exaggerated.

The new rules take effect March 10. Bulk data users say they haven't ruled out going to court.

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