Originally published April 19 2005
Data privacy bills working through statehouses in wake of security breaches
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The South Korean Defense Ministry intends to deploy armed combat robots along its fortified border with North Korea as part of an effort to deter a possible North Korean invasion. The Ministry also plans to install electronic warning systems, computerized surveillance cameras, remotely monitored battlefield sensor arrays, and closed circuit television systems along the border by 2011. The Korean border is a heavily fortified military zone with hundreds of thousands of troops on both sides, as the two Koreas are still technically at war. The robots are intended to observe the border from a distance of one or two kilometers, and may be equipped with weapons that can be operated by remote observers.
Legislatures in more than two dozen states are considering ways to give consumers more control over personal information that is collected and sold by private firms, but many of the proposals are drawing fire from financial services companies.
Bills are on the table in 28 states responding to a series of high-profile security breaches at information brokers, banks and universities that so far this year have resulted in more than 1 million Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, names and addresses falling into the hands of potential identity thieves.
The state activity is being closely tracked on Capitol Hill, where several House and Senate members have introduced or are preparing identity theft legislation.
One group of bills would allow consumers to "freeze" their credit reports so that sensitive data could not be given out to anyone without permission from the individual each time the data were requested.
Identity thieves often strike by obtaining a piece of private information, such as a Social Security number, and then using it to establish credit and make purchases.
"For years consumers have been told to take steps to protect their data by buying personal shredders and changing their passwords," said Kerry Smith, senior consumer attorney with state Public Interest Research Groups.
"But, as the ChoicePoint and other scandals demonstrate, consumers have little control over their personal information.
Trade groups representing banks, mortgage brokers and credit bureaus are lobbying hard to defeat the freeze idea, arguing that it would cause consumers unforeseen headaches.
"They may not realize that a freeze will slow a credit application.
Robert Armbruster, president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, said consumers can already place fraud alerts in their credit files, which put financial agencies on notice to be especially cautious.
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