State AGs

Coalition of AGs Asks Social Security Administration to Establish Database of SSNs to Combat ID Theft

• Forty-three state AGs sent a letter to acting Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Nancy Berryhill urging the SSA to swiftly develop a database that would make it easier for financial institutions to verify consumers’ personal information.

• According to the AGs, this will help combat so-called synthetic identity theft, where identity thieves use real SSNs in combination with false names and dates of birth to create new identities.

U.S. Senate

Democratic Senators Introduce Federal Privacy Legislation

• A group of 15 Democratic Senators, led by Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz, introduced the Data Care Act, which “would require websites, apps, and other online providers to take responsible steps to safeguard personal information and stop the misuse of users’ data.”
• The Act would establish duties of care, loyalty and confidentiality and would be enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission as well as state AGs.
• Introduction of the Act was praised by a variety of privacy organizations, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Center for Democracy and Technology.