Lexis-Nexis

[Richard Jensen]

The message appended below is what you can get by sending an e-mail to
the Lexis-Nexis e-mail address posted in Paul Hanford's note.

Richard J. Jensen      |   E-MAIL: rjensen at saintmarys.edu
Dept. of Biology       |   TELEPHONE: 219-284-4674
Saint Mary's College   |   FAX: 219-284-4716
Notre Dame, IN  46556  |

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1996 12:06:51 -0400
From: LEXIS(R)-NEXIS(R) P-Trak <p-trak at prod.lexis-nexis.com>
To: rjensen at jade.saintmarys.edu
Subject: Re: Query



This is to confirm that we have received your request to have your
name deleted from the P-TRAK file.  To efficiently remove records from
the P-TRAK database, the following information is required:

Last name, First name Middle Name
Address City, State Zip
Telephone Number

If you did not include this information, please resubmit your request
to p-trak at prod.lexis-nexis.com or mail this information to ATTN:
P-TRAK, P. O. Box 933, Dayton, OH 45401.  A World Wide Web-based form
for deletion is available at
http://www.lexis-nexis.com/lncc/p-trak/index.html.  You may also fax
your request to 1-800-470-4365.  This information will be used solely
to remove names from the P-TRAK database and for no other purpose.

Incorrect information is being distributed on Internet newsgroups
regarding the data displayed in LEXIS-NEXIS' P-TRAK file.  P-TRAK is
like an electronic "white pages."  The only information displayed is
the name of the individual, current address and up to two previous
addresses and telephone number.  In some cases, the individual's
maiden name may appear and as well as the month and year of birth.
That is the ONLY information displayed in the P-TRAK file.

Contrary to some messages that have been posted to some Internet
discussion and news groups, the P-TRAK file does not contain any
credit histories, bank account information, personal financial data,
mother's maiden name or medical histories.  This misinformation has
been posted over and over again to various news groups.  An example of
a record appears below:

Name:               DOE, JOHN E
Current Address:    1066 Anywhere Drive
                    Dayton, OH 95454

Previous Addresses: 106 Somewhere Drive
                    Dayton, OH 92454

Birthdate: 9/1965

Telephone number: 555-1212

On file since: 6/1/1994

The information displayed in the P-TRAK file is the type of
information readily available from public information sources such as
telephone directories (in print and CD-ROM format) and public records
maintained by government agencies.

LEXIS-NEXIS markets the P-TRAK file to the legal community for use by
general legal practitioners, litigators and public attorneys, as well
as law enforcement agencies and police departments.  These
professionals use the P-TRAK file to assist in locating litigants,
witnesses, shareholders, debtors, heirs and beneficiaries.

LEXIS-NEXIS is aware of the sensitivities regarding the potential
misuse of information. Business competitors of LEXIS-NEXIS have for
some time made Social Security numbers available to users of their
services. In addition, Social Security numbers and other information
are available on the Internet from a number of sources.  Despite this
wide availability of Social Security numbers in the market place,
LEXIS-NEXIS discontinued the display of Social Security numbers in the
P-TRAK file as of June 11, 1996, eleven days after the product was
introduced.

Through its actions, LEXIS-NEXIS is balancing the privacy concerns of
the public with the legitimate needs of legal, business and government
professionals for access to accurate sources of publicly available
information.  By discontinuing the display of Social Security numbers
in P-TRAK and only providing information that is already available to
the public from other sources, LEXIS-NEXIS believes it has responsibly
met the expressed concerns of the public.