Home
>
Political
>
Congress Considers National Data Privacy Law

Congress Considers National Data Privacy Law

Legislation was introduced into Congress this week that would establish a national data privacy law. The bill would require businesses to disclose to consumers any breaches that result in the exposure of personal information.

The legislation is a reaction to the massive security breaches that have occurred over the last year. In the most notable breach, over 40 million credit card numbers were exposed in a security breach involving CardSystems, an online processor. LexisNexis, Bank of America and other corporate entities have also suffered breaches exposing the personal information of millions of individuals.

Under the new legislation, businesses exposing the personal information of more than 1,000 individuals would be required to notify the individuals. Failure to comply with the law would result in penalties of up to $11 million per incident. Interestingly, the legislation would bar businesses and schools from putting Social Security numbers on any form of identification.

Upon receiving notice, consumers would be allowed to put a notice on their credit reports, which would prevent any company from providing new credit under their name. This would effectively stop thieves from opening new credit accounts with the stolen information.

Will It Pass?

The new legislation has a very good chance of becoming federal law. Sponsored by two Republicans and two Democrats, the bill appears to have bipartisan support. Avoiding the vicious partisan politics on Capital Hill is half the battle for any legislation.

Corporate America also appears to be getting behind the bill. Although this might seem surprising at first, there is a good reason. States including California, Washington and Georgia have already enacted similar laws, but each requires different actions. A federal law, however, will trump all of the state laws and create a uniform requirement for businesses. From a practical standpoint, Corporate America would prefer one standard instead of many.

The new bipartisan legislation is a welcome step in the effort to fight identity theft. Many more steps, however, will be required. You should continue to closely review your credit card statements and credit reports for any unauthorized charges.

Richard Chapo is the lead attorney for the law firm http://www.sandiegobusinesslawfirm.com - a firm providing legal advice to California businesses. Visit http://www.sandiegobusinesslawfirm.com to read more business law articles.

eco-friendly cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

Congress Considers National Data Privacy Law

Political