Consumer Law

Data Breaches Increase; FTC to Survey ID Theft Victims on Use of FACTA Rights

By Jeff Sovern

The FTC has announced that it will survey identity theft victims about "their experiences when they contacted one or more credit reporting agencies and when they sought to use their FACT Act rights."  It is seeking comments from the public on

(l) whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information has practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency?s estimate of the burden of the proposed collections of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Meanwhile, the Identity Theft Resource Center reports that  "[b]etween January 1st and June 27th, the total number of data breaches recorded by the ITRC is 342, more than 69% greater than the same time period in 2007. The actual number of breaches is likely even higher, due to underreporting and the fact that some of the breaches reported as a single event actually affected multiple businesses."

Of course, the available evidence suggests that many data breaches have not resulted in identity theft--but some have.

(HT to the Electronic Privacy Information Center).

Full post as published by CL&P Blog on July 14, 2008 (boomark / email).