My wife randomly sends me call signs when she sees them on license plates etc, and then I look them up in ULS and pretend like it's someone I know (she knows I don't actually)
Anyway, I think it's past time that the FCC lets private hams remain mostly anonymous. I wonder if anyone suggested that as part of all the Delete Delete Delete crap.
Anyway, I think it's past time that the FCC lets private hams remain mostly anonymous.With deference and respect because I am going to have to disagree.
You want to use the licensed public radio spectrum, you can't be anonymous.
Want to be anonymous? Don't use the licensed spectrum. Most CB/ GPRS radio users are anonymous.
Really no different than cars or anything else that's licensed.
Want to be anonymous while you're driving your vehicle? Stay off the public roadways where you need to have a license and registration to drive.
(I mean no disrespect with this. And while I can certainly understand everyone's desire for more privacy but isn't the issue really someone putting their call sign on their license plate?)
@gme @N3VEM Not 100% sure how it works in USA, but in the UK the RSGB stopped publishing home addresses in their yearbook some years ago and whilst you can confirm via Ofcom open data if a callsign is valid, you won't get the operators name or QTH unless they choose to share it (usually on sites like QRZ).
You can also look up the details of anyones car you see on the street (like make/model/what kind of engine it has) via the registration mark but you can't trace these back to the owner, only public authorities and a few authorised places (like insurance companies and parking enforcement) can do that..
@vfrmedia @gme yeah - I should say anonymous with an asterisk - I don't mean completely - we should apply, get licensed, be in the FCC database, but I don't think that should in turn be public info for anyone to look up - using the car analogy, I can't just look up any license plate and get the home address of the person in the car...our callsigns should be the same.
@N3VEM@mastodon.radio @vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de
I can't just look up any license plate and get the home address of the person in the car...Hate to break it to you but yes you can. You just have to pay for it (because the data brokers want to make money from you).
Every "background check" website let's you pull up information about who owns a car and what not based on license plate or VIN, and most will even give you the drivers' license number and insurance information registered to the car too.
@gme @vfrmedia interesting- that is new info to me. Seems like that gets into dubious legal territory though because it seems that most state laws and some federal laws limit what and why you can use plate info. There are plenty of websites I see though that do offer the service, but I'm not about to give them money to test it
Regardless - there is quite a difference between having to jump through hoops and wade dubious legal landscapes, vs just having it freely published on an open database.
@N3VEM@mastodon.radio @vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de
But it's public information. Same for the tail registration for aircraft. Another licensed, and registered activity. The only thing I'm not sure of is that extended to drone operators since those are legally required to be registered with the FAA.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=find+the+address+of+any+car+owner+easily+based+on+their+license+plate&t=newext&atb=v478-1&ia=web
Edit: This is what I got back when I put in my own license plate information. Only thing wrong is that my truck is white and not red. LOL.
@gme @vfrmedia do you actually get your home address back if you pay?
From my understanding that's where it gets dubious, and apparently there is all kinds of fine print in TOCs.
There are also (from casual searching) laws in place in most states about how that information can be used if you obtain it, so I'd still say it isn't "public." you might be able to get it, but using it may have consequences- it's still a far cry from the FCCs "here's all the info and you don't even need a login"
@N3VEM@mastodon.radio @vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de
I've used these sites before when doing background checks on home care givers for my relatives and yes, you do get addresses.
Admittedly I've never run a "background check" against my own license plate number to verify but I have run a "background check" on my name and birthdate before just to see what was out there and it had all my previous addresses, even "unofficial" addresses of mine (PMB addresses I've used for business and other stuff).
Lexis-Nexis is the single largest data broker in the US, and the amount of information they have on us is STAGGERING.
I highly encourage every American to order their own Lexis-Nexis report. They have to give it to you free.
https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/request
Make sure you're sitting down, and make sure you've taking your high blood pressure medication before you open the rather large envelope that will be mailed to you with everything in it.
You will go through all the stages of grief as you read the dossier they have on you. Trust me.
@gme @N3VEM I work for a company that provides home carers, and whilst our staff are subjected to one of the most stringent background and ID checks available in our country (and their immigration/citizenship status is audited regularly) there's also strict rules about confidentiality of this information within the company.
We can't search their vehicle registration marks to check registered keeper details (only companies with a motoring-related reason can do so like parking enforcement and car insurance), although staff do need to submit details of what they are driving and we check the car has a valid inspection cert (MOT) and the driver has valid insurance for business travel.
@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de @N3VEM@mastodon.radio
One of these days we might get something similar to the GDPR but by the time all the companies and lobbyists have thoroughly attacked the law, and the legislators that sponsored or support it, it won't look anything like its proposal and will be so watered down it would be pointless.