Adelaide Now reports that taxpayer assessment records--including the name, address and property value of individuals--can be purchased from town councils by businesses and other entities without individuals' consent. Several real estate companies are using the purchased information to create databases in order to personalize marketing campaigns, the report states. Currently, there are not existing laws to prevent the sale of such information for profit. An investigation by the paper revealed that taxpayer data can be accessed through council computers without charge or registration and, though individuals can opt out, most are not aware of the process.
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