Notice To All Requestors Of Records

The Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) limits the use of certain information revealed in response to a FOIA request. See S.C. Code § 30-4-50(B): “No information contained in a police incident report or in an employee salary schedule revealed in response to a request pursuant to this chapter may be utilized for commercial solicitation. Also, the home addresses and home telephone numbers of employees and officers of public bodies revealed in response to a request pursuant to this chapter may not be utilized for commercial solicitation. However, this provision must not be interpreted to restrict access by the public and press to information contained in public records.”

Additionally, S.C. Code § 30-2-50(A) establishes the following prohibition: “A person or private entity shall not knowingly obtain or use personal information[1] obtained from a state agency, a local government, or other political subdivision of the State for commercial solicitation directed to any person in this State.

Further – A person knowingly violating the provisions of subsection (A) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars or imprisoned for a term not to exceed one year, or both. S.C. Code § 30-2-50 (D).

“Personal information” means information that identifies or describes an individual including, but not limited to, an individual's photograph or digitized image, social security number, date of birth, driver's identification number, name, home address, home telephone number, medical or disability information, education level, financial status, bank account numbers, account or identification number issued by or used, or both, by any federal or state governmental agency or private financial institution, employment history, height, weight, race, other physical details, signature, biometric identifiers, and any credit records or reports.

“Personal information” does not mean information about boating accidents, vehicular accidents, driving violations, boating violations, or driver status, or names and addresses from any registration documents filed with the Department of Revenue as a business address which also may be a personal address. S.C. Code Ann. § 30-2-30