Opt out of NZTA releasing your personal details
Discussion
Found on another forum:
"As of 1 November 2010, a new law comes into effect which allows third parties access to your name and address details via your vehicle registration plates.
You are able to elect not to have your personal details released however if you do not do this then anyone will be able to look up your rego plate and get the details from the net without paying anything.
Click on the link below to opt out (if you want to).
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/transact/
Make sure you tick the opt out box (it's easy to miss)"
"As of 1 November 2010, a new law comes into effect which allows third parties access to your name and address details via your vehicle registration plates.
You are able to elect not to have your personal details released however if you do not do this then anyone will be able to look up your rego plate and get the details from the net without paying anything.
Click on the link below to opt out (if you want to).
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/transact/
Make sure you tick the opt out box (it's easy to miss)"
Don't panic too much - people have been able to get owners names and addresses from NZTA for years - the new law actually tightens this up and prevents it.
Until the new change, marketing companies could provide lists of thousands of number plates (sequentially numbered), pay a fee per plate, and get the names and addresses returned to them. Any individual could also walk into post office and get the owners names for any plate for $ 2.45 (approx).
With this law change the people who have access to owners details is tightened up to basically only government bodies. Members of the public will only be able to access owners names through an Official Information Request and marketing companies aren't allowed to access bulk data at all.
So the information on the other forum is probably largely inaccurate. There's no reason not to opt out, but since the public will not be able access your details anyway, it's a little pointless and was only included to keep the Privacy Commissioner happy.
Until the new change, marketing companies could provide lists of thousands of number plates (sequentially numbered), pay a fee per plate, and get the names and addresses returned to them. Any individual could also walk into post office and get the owners names for any plate for $ 2.45 (approx).
With this law change the people who have access to owners details is tightened up to basically only government bodies. Members of the public will only be able to access owners names through an Official Information Request and marketing companies aren't allowed to access bulk data at all.
So the information on the other forum is probably largely inaccurate. There's no reason not to opt out, but since the public will not be able access your details anyway, it's a little pointless and was only included to keep the Privacy Commissioner happy.
I agree with Richard - at the moment anyone can go to a post shop and request owner details for a small fee, and now Carjam do the same online.
Some names and addresses are already withheld (police personnel, CYFs workers etc.). I believe that by law names and addresses must be available (has been like this for ages) and following criticism of this, NZTA have added this web link to allow anyone to easily remove themselves from the visible list, just like the phone book opt-out.
This is loosely related to another issue - due to the popularity of CarJam and other online sites, the NZTA computers are overloaded with vehicle enquiries. NZTA are now thinking of restricting the free access to information and making a charge to cover the cost of the new computers that they need to keep up with demand.
Some names and addresses are already withheld (police personnel, CYFs workers etc.). I believe that by law names and addresses must be available (has been like this for ages) and following criticism of this, NZTA have added this web link to allow anyone to easily remove themselves from the visible list, just like the phone book opt-out.
This is loosely related to another issue - due to the popularity of CarJam and other online sites, the NZTA computers are overloaded with vehicle enquiries. NZTA are now thinking of restricting the free access to information and making a charge to cover the cost of the new computers that they need to keep up with demand.
My understanding was that with the Post Office you could essentially find out who has accessed your details as they need to provide proof of identity if say your P & J went missing / damaged at home etc.
With the online checking you didn't have the same security and it was to be free? Therefore likely to dramatically increase the number of people requesting details.
Is this not the case?
With the online checking you didn't have the same security and it was to be free? Therefore likely to dramatically increase the number of people requesting details.
Is this not the case?
CRM said:
My understanding was that with the Post Office you could essentially find out who has accessed your details as they need to provide proof of identity if say your P & J went missing / damaged at home etc.
With the online checking you didn't have the same security and it was to be free? Therefore likely to dramatically increase the number of people requesting details.
Is this not the case?
No, bizarrely there is a case where a lady asked LTSA to reveal the name and address of someone she suspected had accessed her details. LTSA refused to provide the details on the basis that the request to access the MVA was covered by the Privacy Act but the actual data on the MVA itself was not. I'll post the link to the case notes on the privacy website later when I have a chance.With the online checking you didn't have the same security and it was to be free? Therefore likely to dramatically increase the number of people requesting details.
Is this not the case?
As I said above, the new change will remove public access to the MVA.
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