I never realised until this year that you needn't be published on the electoral roll

[zippitippitoes]

I always assumed that your name had to be on it and available for anyone to see, but this year noticed that you can opt to be absent from the public version so we did

and hope to have less junk mail as one side effect as well as feeling less public

Can you do that everywhere?
I wrote to my MP about it when I lived alone and didn't want anyone to be able to identify women living alone.

Yes that's correct ... you can opt out via a tick box when you complete your electoral roll registration form each year. It means that the credit reference agencies can still see your name for the purposes of credit checking, but they are not allowed to use your name for 'junk' mailings.

Blu - you can do it everywhere in England, don't know about Scotland or Wales tho

Should definitely result in less junk mail - it did for me

You can opt out in Scotland, too, NAAM. I wonder if it's a new thing as I can't say that I've ever noticed the choice on the electoral roll form before.

I wondered if it was new as I don't remeber seeing it before or maybe it's been put more obviously on the form as an option?

Trying to think when I first did it......

I know it was at my old house so that's 2 years ago but I'm fairly sure it wasn't the last one I filled in at that house so I reckon it was 3 years ago

But I'll happily stand corrected if someone knows different

I have found this explanation by the somewhat biased 192.com which is quite interesting, apparently the 2000-2004 version is archived and may be viewed even if you have subsequently opted out..the law changed in 2003

INFO HERE

Thanks for that link zippi. I was really p$$$$d off that having taken the trouble to opt out last year and this (and we're ex-directory) someone could still get my details off the internet. Flaming cheek though that you have to make the effort to write to them to ask them to withdraw information about you that you didn't give them permission to have in the first place

I think it has real implications for identity theft too, doesn't it? Or in a sense worse than before as there is more outdated info around from archived registers?

on the 192.com site is says:

''Can I see who has searched me?
192.com is the safest directory enquiry service in the world because every search done is carefully recorded and stored for a minimum of two years. We know who has searched what, when, and how. This audit trail makes the site safer because while we provide in depth information on everyone and every business in the UK, unlikely event that someone has abused our site, we are able to provided enormously detailed information to the data subject or to the police upon request.

The fact is that anyone wishing to abuse information leaves fingerprints when they use 192.com, and those fingerprints allow us to trace the searcher. That makes 192.com a safer place to be listed since those that wish to abuse information do not want audit trails and log files to record their every click. That is why information on 192.com is safer here than it is in the local library (where no CCTV or monitoring of who searches what is possible).

However if you suspect that you information has been abused, and you wish to see who has searched your record please complete the form on the next page and, with a payment of a £10 administration fee, we will post within 7 days details of who has searched you, and when, to your 192.com registered address.

This service is only available to registered users of 192.com, to register please click here.

If you are interested in this service please email [email protected]

Alternatively please ask the police to contact [email protected] and we will be happy to furnish the log file information to them for free. ''

Would they trace you even if you only looked up the name or only if you access people's full detials (i.e. you have to pay to view them from the Voter's Roll?? In other words, do they look up the ISP or your detials if you registered with them?

No idea what they mean..I thought it alll seemed a bit more open than you knew to be honest...