[darknavi]

Indeed. I was in Sweden and learned that you can look up someone's address and pay on a government website. I think there are some "are you human" checks, but it's basically all in the clear.

It creeped me out a bit and then I was angry when I realized it's the same way in the US, but maybe worse. In the US this is possible too, you just have to pay private data brokers and a bunch of middle men make a cheap buck. Employers sell your pay data, websites sell your address. Everyone makes a buck at your expense.

[IncreasePosts]

If you know the region they live in, many counties in the US now let you search property records by name from a simple web form.

[burnt-resistor]

Most Texas counties put all their residents' complete, real-time information out there with zero impediments to scraping and wholesale harvesting. Appraisal value, tax payment and tax status, mailing address, full legal name, and phone number. Basically a scammer, stalker, and data broker goldmine.