Applaud States Fighting to Protect Drivers’ Privacy

A coalition of states is challenging the Trump administration’s demand for five years of records covering roughly 17 million commercial driver’s license holders. According to the lawsuits, the requested information includes Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable data maintained by states through the Commercial Driver’s License Information System.

The coalition argues that federal agencies are attempting to obtain this massive trove of personal information without adequate legal authority, transparency, or safeguards governing how the data could ultimately be used or shared. The states are also challenging the administration’s reported threat to cut off more than $10 million in federal funding if the organization operating the database refuses to comply.

Americans provide sensitive information to their governments with the expectation that it will be kept secure and used for legitimate, clearly defined purposes. Protecting that information is especially important when millions of Social Security numbers and other identifying records are at stake.

Government agencies should not be able to sidestep privacy protections or use federal funding as leverage to obtain enormous databases of Americans’ personal information without proper legal justification and oversight.

By taking the administration to court, Attorney General Brown and his fellow attorneys general are standing up for privacy, transparency, and limits on federal power.

Add your name to applaud the coalition of states for protecting commercial drivers’ personal data, defending Americans’ privacy, and demanding accountability from the Trump administration.