Commercial websites publishing my details

[AirSupply]

Hello

Namechanger here.

I wonder if anyone can help me? I am the director of a company. I have Googled my name today and found that several commercial websites who sell directors' details to the public have placed my full name, full date of birth and full address on the internet for all to see.

There is an option on these sites to purchase details of my company, which I am aware is what Companies House do with their records.

However, I am very unhappy about my personal details being freely available to all and sundry from these sites.

I have emailed one site today, and the owner was very sarcastic in his reply to me.

I am very careful about my details being available on the internet, due to worries about ID theft, and just because I am a very private person.

These people, about whom I know nothing,seem to think they can just publish whatever they like about me without my permission.

Any advice would be welcome.

Thankyou

[mranchovy]

They can't publish whatever they like about you, but they can republish information which is made public by inclusion on the public records of Companies House.

Since 1st October 2009 it has been possible to have your private address removed from the public register and replaced with a Service Address (often this is the Registered Address of the Company).

The form to change this is CH01 which you can submit by post or online.

[AirSupply]

Thanks for your reply.

I have called Companies House this morning. I am emailing them with my views today. The lady spoke to today seemed to think it was a police matter so I will take this further.

[prh47bridge]

I don't see how it is a police matter. If Companies House's copyright has been breached that is a matter for Companies House. The police don't enforce the Data Protection Act even if it applied.

Whether you like it or not, as a company director your details are publicly available. For £1 anyone can get your full name, former names, nationality, occupation, date of birth, date of appointment and address from Companies House. Other companies which buy information from Companies House can also supply these details, although they usually charge a little more. Complaining to Companies House will not change the law which requires this information to be public, nor can you prevent them from selling the public registers to commercial websites for resale.

As mranchovy says, you can supply a service address which will then appear in the public record instead of your residential address.

[AirSupply]

I have no problem with people paying Companies House for those details. I know that is the case with companies.

What I do object to is commercial websites publishing those details freely on the internet.

There is a huge difference in these details being available for a paying customer and these details being a click away from every Tom Dick or Harry, with no payment and no check on who is looking.

Who do these people think they are that they can place my details for all to see on the internet?

Companies House do not publish these full details. You have to pay Companies House for the release of these.

I know all about service addresses.