Data Broker Radaris Loses Domains in Privacy Fight
The data broker Radaris.com has been embroiled in a legal battle with Atlas Data Privacy Corp over its practice of failing to remove personal information of law enforcement officials and government personnel from its people-search services. After repeated delays and attempts to obscure the true ownership and operations of the company, the New Jersey courts have ordered the transfer of 14 domain names from the Radaris family of companies to Atlas. The case highlights the broader struggle against consumer data brokers and the lack of comprehensive data privacy laws in the United States, with numerous states now considering similar legislation to Daniel’s Law. Despite the legal victories for Atlas, the data broker industry continues to resist stricter regulations, and the issue remains a significant concern for privacy advocates.
The data broker Radaris.com has long been criticized for its reluctance to remove personal information of law enforcement officials and government personnel from its people-search services. This led to a lawsuit from Atlas Data Privacy Corp, a company dedicated to holding data brokers accountable under New Jersey’s Daniel’s Law, which provides for hefty fines against companies that fail to comply with removal requests. For years, Radaris employed a complex strategy of delaying responses, using fictitious CEOs, and shifting ownership to shell companies in various jurisdictions – including Cyprus, the Marshall Islands, and the British Virgin Islands – to evade legal obligations.
Attorneys for Radaris attempted to obscure the true owners and operations of the company, utilizing a series of shell companies and a fictitious CEO named ‘Gary Norden’ to mislead the courts. However, Atlas, with the assistance of an investigator in the Marshall Islands, uncovered evidence that these entities were all managed by the same individuals from a single Boston-area group, sharing bank accounts and virtual office addresses. The legal battle resulted in the New Jersey courts transferring 14 domain names from the Radaris family of companies to Atlas.
Despite these legal victories, the data broker industry continues to resist stricter regulations. Numerous states have now passed laws modeled after Daniel’s Law, but the industry has successfully challenged these laws in federal court, arguing that they violate the First Amendment. Furthermore, the lack of comprehensive federal data privacy laws allows data brokers to collect and utilize vast amounts of personal information, including public records like voting registries, criminal records, and driver’s license data, as evidenced by the recent breach at IDScan.net, which exposed the information of over 153 million Americans.
The case underscores the ongoing struggle to balance law enforcement needs with individual privacy rights and the broader need for stronger consumer data protection laws in the United States. With the industry actively lobbying against comprehensive legislation, the fight for meaningful data privacy remains a significant challenge.