Summary
The AARP and a public interest activism group are among those supporting bills that would require agencies to notify consumers when their Social Security, credit card or other identifying numbers may have been compromised.
Original source:
http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw117531_20050623.htm
Details
The AARP and a public interest activism group are among those supporting bills in the state Legislature designed to provide more protection against identity theft.
One bill pending in the Senate would require agencies to notify consumers when their Social Security, credit card or other identifying numbers may have been compromised.
The bills would build on state laws that took effect earlier this year to help protect consumers against identity theft, one of the nation's fastest growing crimes.
The new Michigan laws are a good start but don't go far enough to address advances in identity theft techniques, supporters of the new legislation say.
"Nobody realized the extent to which hackers could get into systems and basically steal peoples' identities," said Bill Knox, government affairs director for the AARP of Michigan.
Several incidents across the nation may have comprised credit card numbers and other personal information.
Shirley Johnson, R-Royal Oak, would require companies to promptly tell customers about possible breaches.
Gilda Jacobs, D-Huntington Woods, has introduced a bill that would allow customers to put a "security freeze" on their credit files.
Consumers could block access to their credit files through use of a password or PIN number.
The password or PIN would be needed when the credit file is reviewed, such as when a customer applies for a credit card.
Bills with similar goals to prevent identity theft have been introduced in the state House.
Jacobs said her bill would strengthen legislation already on the books.
The laws prevent retailers from displaying more than the last four digits of credit card account number on a sales receipt.
While those laws primarily target physical evidence of sensitive identification numbers, the new bills address the use of technology in
identity theft attempts.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he is well known as the creator of popular downloadable preparedness programs on financial collapse, emergency food storage, wilderness survival and home defense skills. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams launched TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted pioneer in the email marketing software industry, having been the first to launch an HTML email newsletter technology that has grown to become a standard in the industry. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org
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Tuesday, July 05, 2005
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