Database Leak Exposes 191 Million Voters on Internet

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A database containing large amounts of personal information on American voters has been uncovered by a cyber security analyst.

Chris Vickery went public Monday saying he had come across data on some 191 million Americans, including names, addresses, birth dates, party affiliations and emails from all across the country, reports Reuters.

According to Forbes, the data may date back to 2000 and does not contain sensitive financial data or Social Security numbers. Much of the data is publicly available, but not in such an easily accessible form like the database Vickery came across—which political campaigns often pay for. “The alarming part is that the information is so concentrated,” Vickery told Reuters.

None of the companies that collect voter information has claimed responsibility and federal law enforcement officials had no comment. In the meantime, the data is available to anyone who can follow Vickery’s steps. He said he found the information while looking for exposed data on the Internet in an effort to raise awareness of leaks.

“I want our society to respect privacy more,” he told Reuters. “We need serious referendum on the way private data is handled.”

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