I wish Missouri would consider adopting something like Vermont's new "opt-in" policy. Effective February 15, financial companies can't trade or sell your personal information with each other unless you've specifically requested that they do so. Most companies have an "opt-out" provision, but this changes the default preference in Vermont.

These companies have always said that people like receiving offers from other companies. Seems to me that this is their chance to prove it. If someone wants it, they'll ask for it. Right?

My neighbors have a key to my house. I gave it to them so they could get in if there's a problem while I'm gone. I didn't tell them to stay out of my house unless there's a problem. It's my house, they know better than that. Furthermore, I didn't have to tell them not to copy my key and give it to our other neighbors in case my key-holding neighbors are gone. This is common sense.

Likewise, I don't think my credit card company should have the default ability to spread my information among every other company that comes along and wants to offer me yet another credit card, or insurance, or a home equity loan.

If I want any of those things, I bet it wouldn't take much for me to get them. I'm pretty sure my selection process will involve more than opening a random piece of mail that was sent to me because someone bought a slice of my credit card company's database.

It's like computer security. Defaults should always be "off," or "locked," or "disabled." Access should be implicitly denied, explicitly granted.

Maybe this should be a law instead of a departmental regulation (PDF file). There's certainly going to be a fight about it. But the idea itself sounds good to me.