Privacy Digest

LA Daily News - Governor opens office to fight ID theft - Via LA Daily News:

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opened a new office to fight high-tech identity theft Wednesday, a move activists said will help cut down on the crime as firms fail to meet California's landmark consumer-privacy laws.

The new agency combines the former Office of Privacy Protection in the Department of Consumer Affairs, which opened in 2001, with the State Information Security Office, formerly part of the Department of Finance.

The new agency is called the California Office of Information Security and Privacy Protection and will help guide law enforcement, businesses, advocacy groups and consumers. Rosario Marin, secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency, said the union will strengthen the efforts of both offices.

Still, the California Public Interest Research Group released a survey saying that companies are failing to meet existing state privacy regulations and called for action this year by lawmakers.

"This holiday shopping season, millions of consumers surrendered their personal information to retailers across the country with no idea how or with whom that information is shared," said Pedro Morillas of CalPIRG.

Stores gather personal financial information about customers during sales and are required to safeguard the data - but they can still sell information to other entities interested in reaching those same potential buyers.

Government provides consumers some control over the flow of information, but CalPIRG says companies in California are doing a poor job of responding to residents' questions about what data has been shared with which third parties.

(Read Original Article - Via LA Daily News.)