Although I haven't seen it in any of the newsgroups I monitor yet,
word has evidently spread all over the Internet about a company in
Dayton, Ohio, by the name of LEXIS-NEXIS which maintains a database
known as P-TRAK on people containing their name, social security
number, current address, previous addresses, mother's maiden name,
birth date, and other personal information.  The company issued a
statement on September 18, 1996 as follows:
QUOTE  Incorrect information is being distributed on Internet
newsgroups regarding the data displayed in LEXIS-NEXIS' P-TRAK file.
P-TRAK is like an electronic "white pages."  The only information
displayed is the name of the individual, current address and up to two
previous addresses and telephone number.  In some cases, the
individual's maiden name may appear as well as the month and year of
birth.  That is the ONLY information displayed in the P-TRAK file.
Contrary to some messages that have been posted to some Internet
discussion and news groups, the P-TRAK file DOES NOT contain any credit
histories, bank account information, personal financial data, mother's
maiden name or medical histories.  This misinformation has been posed
over and over again to various news groups.
An example of a record appears below:
Name:  DOE, JOHN E
Current Address:  1066 Anywhere Drive, Dayton, OH 95454
Previous Address:  106 Somewhere Drive, Dayton, OH 95454
Birthdate:  9/1965
Telephone Number:  555-1212
On File Since:  6/1/1994
The information displayed in the P-TRAK file is the type of information
readily available from public information sources such as telephone
directories (in print and CD-ROM format) and public records maintained
by government agencies.
LEXIS-NEXIS markets the P-TRAK file to the legal community for use by
general legal practitioners, litigators and public attorneys, as well
as law enforcement agencies and police departments.  These
professionals use the P-TRAK file to assist in locating litigants,
witnesses, shareholders, debtors, heirs and beneficiaries.
LEXIS-NEXIS is aware of the sensitivities regarding the potential
misuse of information.  Business competitors of LEXIS-NEXIS have for
some time made Social Security numbers available to users of their
services.  In addition, Social Security numers and other information
are available on the Internet from a number of sources.  Despite this
wide availability of Social Security numbers in the market place,
LEXIS-NEXIS discontinued the display of Social Security numbers in the
P-TRAK file as of June 11, 1996, eleven days after the product was
introduced.
Through its actions, LEXIS-NEXIS is balancing the privacy concerns of
the public with the legitimate needs of legal, business and government
professionals for access to accurate sources of publicly available
information.  By discontinuing the display of Social Security numbers
in P-TRAK and only providing information that is already available to
the public from other sources, LEXIS-NEXIS believes it has responsibly
met the expressed concerns of the public.
Individuals interested in having their names removed from the P-TRAK
file can e-mail their full name and complete address to:
p-trak@prod.lexis-nexis.com or mail this information to ATTN:  P-TRAK,
P. O. Box 933, Dayton, OH  45401.
UNQUOTE
     You all can act/react as you see fit ....
     My action will be to notify LEXIS-NEXIS to remove my name and all
accompanying information from its P-TRAK file.  In addition, since
LEXIS-NEXIS volunteered that "business competitors" make Social
Security numbers available to users of their services, I will request
that they notify me of any and all business competitors which may
potentially do so in regard to my name and Social Security number.
Furthermore, LEXIS-NEXIS made the statement that Social Security
numbers are available on the Internet from a number of sources.
Therefore, I will also request that LEXIS-NEXIS notify me of each and
every Internet source of which it is aware that does so.
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