PERSONAL DATA BREACH LEGISLATION GOING NOWHERE

In a hearing back in March of this year Democratic Senator DianneFeinstein of California resurrected her lackluster four-year-old data breach bill, the Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act. The only Senators in attendance were her and Jon Kyl of Arizona, a Republican. Kyl left after 30 minutes. According to an InternetNews.com article, with Feinstein’s bill, people would be notified of a breach only if the company doing the breaching thinks there is “significant” risk of harm. Useless, considering the methods data brokers have used in the past to circumvent this responsibility. There has also been talk, and some congressional action, for a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board as an independent agency under the Executive Branch. Yeah. That’s something we would want Bush in charge of. Junk mail industry publication, DM News, reports that Susan Collins of Maine just introduced a bipartisan amendment, protecting sealed mail from being searched. Pathetic since federal law and the Constitution give us this protection already, but Collins, a Republican, wanted to blind-side Bush because of one of his signing statements over whether or not he would abide by these given rights. And the Real ID Act is till taking flak. Maine and Idaho are refusing to participate, and other states are joining the revolt. So what’s the answer? Federal legislation that will give consumers control over their names and personal data, and compensate them when it is sold. Join my grass-roots movement and contact your local TV, radio and newspapers and let them know how you feel about this issue.