Posted: | January 22, 2021 11:39 AM |
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From: | Representative Michael J. Driscoll |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Credit Report Protection for Consumers After Data Breaches |
Unfortunately, it has become all too common to see another report in the news of a company or organization that has experienced some form of data breach. It is especially unsettling to hear that it occurred to a credit reporting agency, such as Equifax in 2017. Now the highly personal and sensitive information of millions of Americans could be in the hands of people with the worst intentions. This is why I am reintroducing legislation that would require credit reporting agencies who have experienced a data breach to provide free credit monitoring and reports over a certain period of time. My bill will allow consumers to put a permanent security freeze on their sensitive information. Additionally, my bill will prevent credit reporting agencies from charging a fee to place or remove a security freeze on their accounts. We must ensure our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians cannot become victims of identity theft and that their personal information is secure. Consumers deserve this peace of mind following a data breach. I ask for your support and to join me in co-sponsoring this legislation, so we can protect our vulnerable neighbors from suffering through identity theft and help them get the tools they need to keep their information safe. |
Introduced as HB498