Earlier this year, I produced a video to illustrate to consumers how easily their sensitive information, such as a Social Security Number, can be obtained from local government Web sites. Most local government's don't care. They would rather object to redacting sensitive information from public records and continue to put us at risk rather than to protect the information we have entrusted to them.

I posted this video on YouTube last January.The video was viewed by thousands of consumers. Many supportive comments were posted, and most consumers were appalled to learn that their personal information could be obtained both legally and easily by anyone with an Internet connection. I hope that many the consumers that viewed the video took action by writing to their local elected officials to request that their local government discontinue the negligent and irresponsible practice of allowing anyone from anywhere to access our most private information.

One person disagreed with the approach of exposing local government, or possibly it was one of the many local government officials that objected that I exposed their negligence. The dissenter wrote the following complaint to YouTube:

"I flagged this vid as "other dangerous acts"

I wouldn't be illogical if I thought it a good idea to check this guy out seriously. I feel it is highly possible he is a hacker in disguise. i could be wrong, but this type of video telling people literally how to "steal" public records should be bannable.

The news was just stupid for broadcasting easy targets. This guy is potentially stealing it himself."

Based on thisone viewer's comment, YouTube removed the video for violation of terms. As FOX News commentator Bill O'Reilly would ask, "pinheads or patriots? You make the call!" 

The pinhead's remarks are a tribute to his stupidity that the You Tube Gestapo fell for. Phrases such as, "I wouldn't be illogical" meaning he is being illogical, and ""steal" public records"—if they are public then one is not stealing them, are a couple that illustrate he is a kook. Yet, as I found, it is easy to find someone to listen to a complaint at You Tube, but it is impossible to contact anyone to at You Tube to resolve a complaint.

A few viewers have been concerned that the video may proliferate identity theft by educating the thieves. This is akin to saying that exposing fraud in government will encourage dishonest government employees to commit fraud. The fact is, the thieves already know this easy and legal source of personal information, but you, the consumer does not. And that was the point of putting it out there.

The Federal Government has been warning local government and states of this problem for years, but only a handfull of states like California, Illinois and Indiana have taken action to stop this practice. By extension of the logic that the video educates thieves on how to steal Social Security numbers, one could say the government reports that warn local governments that posting information on the net puts consumers in danger of identity theft, simply alerts identity theives of the vulnerability.

Here's the bottom line. If you don't like the video or the government reports exposing these practices, then take action by writing to your State Senator, State Representative, County Representatives or other local elected officials and asking them to stop this practice in your state.

I did, and our county passed a resolution banning exposure of Social Security numbers on public records in April 2009. I brought it to the state legislature and they passed a similar law in the State of Wisconsin.  The governor signed the bill into law last May 2010.  

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