STATEMENT: The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Data Leak Impacted Thousands of Asians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 2, 2023
Contact: Saatvik Ahluwalia
DPS sent at least 3,000 driver’s licenses to an organized crime group that targeted Asian Texans. While the leak was discovered in December, DPS will only begin informing the victims this week. Governor Abbott must ensure that this does not happen again, that victims are informed with in-language information, and that they are provided credit monitoring tools to protect their identities.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — In December, The Texas Department of Public Safety discovered that they had shipped at least 3,000 Texas driver’s licenses to an organized crime group that was targeting Asian Texans. More victims are still being identified.
The criminals were able to request licenses, which they then sold illegally, because of a lack of security features on Texas.gov which could have prevented the entire debacle. The victims deserve more than an acknowledgment of the State’s mistake. They deserve to be made whole and have their identities protected.
“This event is another example of the State’s gross negligence, which continues to erode the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community’s trust in government. Governor Abbott must ensure that new protocols are put in place to avoid communication failures in the future. The state needs to provide timely, in-language information regarding this incident. In addition to notifications to each victim, the State should provide credit monitoring tools to protect their identities from being misused.”
- Lily Trieu, Interim Executive Director of Asian Texans for Justice
Texans who believe they may have been impacted by this breach are asked to contact us at info@asiantexansforjustice.org.
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Asian Texans For Justice (ATJ) connects Asian and Pacific Islander Texans to civic action to build personal and political power. For updates follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.