Carfax sued for allegedly selling police crash reports

A class-action lawsuit alleges Carfax unlawfully sold police accident reports without permission, violating the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act. Image (c) ConsumerAffairs.

The company makes money collecting and selling vehicle data

Carfax, a company which collects and sells vehicle data, is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging it unlawfully sold police accident reports without the consent of drivers.

The lawsuit, filed Feb. 25 in Maryland, alleges Carfax violated the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) by disclosing crash reports without permission from drivers whose personal data is within them, ClassAction.org reports.

The lawsuit also alleges Carfax failed to determine if third-party buyers of the data had permission under the DPPA to have the personal information.

“As a company that regularly handles motor vehicle records as part of its business model, Carfax was aware that such records contain personal information, the improper disclosure of which would be injurious to the individuals whose personal information is contained therein,” the lawsuit alleged.

Carfax didn't respond to ConsumerAffairs's request for comment.

The lawsuit aims to represent all U.S. residents who in the past four years had their personal information in motor vehicle records in their state's Department of Motor Vehicles obtained, used, disclosed or resold by Carfax for purposes not permitted by the DPPA without their consent.

Attorneys at firm Hilgers Graben are handling the case and can be reached at mburns@hilgersgraben.com and ezbersky@zpllp.com.


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