Dear Mr. Patterson:
Thank for your writing to express your concerns regarding data breaches of personal financial information. Your correspondence is important to me, and I welcome the opportunity to respond.
As you are aware, the financial information of certain customers held by multinational companies ranging from Target to Home Depot has been compromised by hackers, leaving some individuals susceptible to identity theft and fraud.
I understand that you believe that retailers should be required to protect consumer information more vigilantly. I also recognize that you believe retailers should be held to the same data protection standards as financial institutions such as credit unions.
Please know that I share your concerns about the protection of personal privacy, particularly with respect to Americans' financial information. For more than a decade, I have worked to pass legislation requiring notification to consumers after a data breach, and I have supported legislation that would better protect Americans' personal information. In the 113th Congress, I joined Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) in introducing the Data Security and Breach Notification Act, which would require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue security standards for companies that hold consumers' personal and financial information and notify affected customers after a data breach. Although this legislation did not pass before the 113th Congress adjourned, I remain hopeful that the Senate will be able to come together and pass meaningful consumer privacy protections.
You may be interested to know that on February 4, 2014, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing called "Privacy in the Digital Age: Preventing Data Breaches and Combating Cybercrime." For your convenience, I have included a link to the webcast here:
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. Please know that I will keep your concerns in mind should this issue come before me in the U.S. Senate. If you have any additional questions or comments, please contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the nation are available at my website, feinstein.senate.gov. And please visit my YouTube, Facebook and Twitter for more ways to communicate with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment