Privacy Digest

House Panel Approves SSN Protection Bill: "A House panel today unanimously approved legislation to limit the sale, purchase or public display of Social Security numbers (SSN). The bill would apply to both the government and private sector in hopes of stemming the occurrence of identity theft.

Under The Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act, the federal government would be prohibited from selling or displaying SSNs to the general public, including on the Internet. Encryption or other security measures would be required for transmission of Social Security numbers.

The prohibition would also prevent the government from using SSNs on checks, Medicare cards and identification cards issued to government employees, as well as patients and students at public institutions.

The bill imposes the same restrictions on the private sector in addition to prohibiting the unnecessary disclosure of another individual's SSN to government. The legislation would also prohibit a person from obtaining another's SSN for the purpose of harassment, harm or other illegal purpose.

'The use and abuse of Social Security numbers is rampant in our society,' bill co-sponsor Sam Johnson (R-Texas) said. 'The best way to stop Social Security numbers from being compromised is to limit their availability in the first place, and that is what this bill does.'

The bill also creates new criminal penalties of up to five years in prison for violating the law on the display, sale, purchase or misuse of SSNs. Repeat offenders could face up to 10 years in prison. Drug trafficking, crimes of violence and terrorism involving the unauthorized use of SSNs could bring prison terms of 20 to 25 years.

Social Security Administration employees who fraudulently sell SSNs would face criminal penalties of up to five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine."

(Read Original Article - Via internet news.)