Ethics Case

State departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) register automobiles and issue driver's licenses. State DMVs require automobile owners and drivers to provide personal informationincluding a person's name, address, telephone number, vehicle description, Social Security number, medical information, and a photographas a condition for registering an automobile or obtaining a driver's license. Many states' DMVs sold this personal information to individuals, advertisers, and businesses. These sales generated significant revenues for the states. After receiving thousands of complaints from individuals whose personal information had been sold, the U.S. Congress enacted the Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994 (DPPA). This federal statute prohibits a state from selling the personal information of a person unless the state obtains that per- son's affirmative consent to do so. South Carolina sued the United States, alleging that the federal government violated the Commerce Clause by adopting the DPPA. Reno, Attorney General of the United States v. Condon, Attorney General of South Carolina, 528 U.S. 141, 120 S.Ct. 666, 145 L.Ed.2d 587, Web 2000 U.S. Lexis 503 (Supreme Court of the United States)

Question:

a.Was it ethical for the states to sell the personal information of automobile owners and drivers?

b.Was the Driver's Privacy Protection Act properly enacted by the federal government pursuant to its Commerce Clause power?