ADDRESSING WHAT MATTERS
Protecting the Residential Privacy of Small Business Owners
WHY RESIDENTIAL PRIVACY MATTERS
Personal Identifying Information
Your residential address, along with other identifying information such as your name, birth date, and social security number, are key elements of “Personal Identifying Information” or “PII”. All PII should be protected because Bad Actors rely on obtaining your PII in order to commit crimes such as Identity Theft, Business Fraud, and Address Fraud. The more of your PII that can be obtained, the easier it is for Bad Actors to commit these crimes. Keeping your residential address off of publicly available records and databases is a crucial step in protecting your PII.
Protect Your
Residential Safety
Everyone should feel safe when relaxing in their home. When your residential address is publicly available, your safety is compromised. If a mere Google search shows the world where you live, you may be a target for numerous forms of unwanted harassment, including Doxxing (the public sharing of your PII) and Swatting (falsifying an emergency report to law enforcement in order to dispatch a SWAT team to a target location). If you operate a business out of your personal residence, do you really want your customers to know where you live?
Your Residential Address is NOT Essential Information
If you operate an independent, decentralized business, why does anyone need to know your address? Freelancers, Gig Workers, and Online Sellers serve a broad client base all over the globe. These modern entrepreneurs do not rely on a brick and mortar establishment to get customers in the door. For most, their residential address doubles as their business address or “Principal Office.” Since most states already require that businesses appoint a registered agent with a physical address in the state, of what use is listing your residential address on state filings?
About
Addressing What Matters (“AWM”) is a 501(c)(4) organization based in Austin, Texas, that was formed in 2024 for the sole purpose of protecting the social welfare, safety and privacy of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and independent contractors by promoting legislation that allows named individuals to retain residential privacy when submitting publicly viewable business filings to state authorities.
Essentially, AWM believes that if you form a business that operates out of your personal residence, you should be allowed to keep your residential address off of publicly viewable government databases. The fundamental right to privacy enjoyed by all Americans should not be waived simply because small business owners and modern entrepreneurs operate in digital marketplaces beyond the constraints of a standard brick and mortar business.
Our Mission
The modern business landscape has changed dramatically in the last 25 years; however, laws impacting business entities have not kept pace. Despite remote employment, decentralized organizations, and fully digital operations now being commonplace, most state and federal laws impacting business entities are still drafted under the assumption that all business entities have a dedicated physical location.
AWM works to achieve its goals primarily by influencing state and federal legislators through education and lobbying efforts, which not only include voicing support or opposition for proposed bills, but also drafting our own policy measures for dissemination. All current AWM initiatives can be seen HERE. Further, AWM works to educate small business owners, entrepreneurs, and independent contractors about the importance of protecting residential privacy.