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UK, Electoral Registers, 2003-2010


Andy

Morning Andrew

Funny you should mention that....

I was doing some research on Ancestry earlier this morning, for a person who married on the Isle of Wight.

Up she popped on the 2003--2009 Electoral Register.

:-D

Great in some ways, but people who have opted out of the open register are not going to be happy that they can be more readily traced.

I opted out as soon as I realised they were selling our details - that was in 2004 - so they have my details from 2002 - 2003.
I've always 'opted out' - but they have my details for 2005 - 2008 - which must have been before your choice was 'automatic'. (ie if you 'opted out' last year, the default the following year was 'opt out').
I find it disgusting that our personal details, on an official Government form, can be sold off to all and sundry.
..but I suppose it's the same with our medical records - or will be soon....

And then the Government with ultimate hypocrisy goes on about 'internet security'!!

Maggie, have you checked your details to see if they are on 192.com? If they are, you can request the details are removed.
http://www.192.com/help/tools-guides/about-your-details/

We did that when someone on the boards mentioned it. Now, even though we opted out of the commercial roll in 2002 and have lived at the same address for years previously, no one is shown. Most of the time the entry for 2002 is shown

I do wonder if opted out people can contact Ancestry quoting Data Protection Act.
One aspect pointed out by someone else is that the age range for the over 65s is shown rather than 65+ as other sites do.

Hi Det,
192.com was where I found my details.
Thank you for the removal link! :-D :-D :-D

Although it may take a while to happen, your details *will* be completely removed. FMP picks up the removal when they update the data base. Goodness knows what Ancestry will do.

It is not possible for people to have their name deleted from the commercial electoral register. Due to the Data Protection Act commercial organisations which have paid for the commercial register offer an opt out to those who apply for it with the result that they will not longer appear in searches from the general public or get junk mail from that oprganisation.

However the records will remain accessible within the organisation for commercial purposes. The most well known users of the E.R. are credit reference companies such as Equifax, banks and communciations cpmpanies. You simply cannot demand "I don't want Equifax (for instance) to see my e.r. record. No chance.

There are no restrictions on the electoral register being sold to overseas cients. They are supposed to adhere to the same terms as those resident in the UK.

fwiw the credit ref agencies not only hold your e.r. data, age, dob but also all the people living at an address, their degree of relationship, any company directorships, personal and business loans and so on. They draw all this together using complex models which predict what they believe to be the "credit rating". An individual may never have missed a beat but living in proximity to those who don't care about such matters or having people in the household who frequently pay late / default can have annoying and expensive conseqences. Go Compare cannot fix it.

Of course some try and live off grid but it is next to impossible to do so. Withholding your e.r. details from marketing companies may seem like a blow for privacy but the actual impact is pretty well nil. Slightly less junk mail and that's about it unless you find genealogy queries from fourth cousins on a galaxy far, far away especially irritating.

May the Force be with you.