Another great idea from Gov. Kaine:Kaine ... wants the state to look at a Do Not Sell List. It's similar to the Do Not Call List that has worked so well. Except in this case it would block companies or agencies from selling personal information about you. Companies routinely sell lists of their customers with information about their buying habits, addresses, incomes, donations, etc. And from that you start getting direct mail from politicians, charities or other companies.The selling and reselling and reselling again of our own personal information is a billion dollar industry. Corporations get rich, and you get stuck with the annoying junk mail. The "Do Not Call" list is popular - and if consumers want the same option to protect their privacy against the information selling industry, they should have that option.Governor Kaine says most people have no idea it's happening.
"A lot of people sign up for a credit card or sign up for some service and they don't realize that the data about how they use the service and even their personal information might get sold to someone else," he said....
Kaine has assembled a panel to study the idea. They should report back to him by the end of the year.
And do not mail in the "warranty" cards that come with products--they give list compilers loads of information.