Subtopics:

Policy and Legislation

• Consumers Union supports Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2010 (August 12, 2010)
• Support for the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2009 (November 3, 2009)
• Fact Sheet about ID Theft (January 4, 2009)
• CU calls for protections in contactless cards and pay by cell phone (June 20, 2008)
• CU's guide to security freeze protection (June 13, 2008)
• CU supports federal bill to remove the SSN from newly issued Medicare cards (May 30, 2008)
• Consumer groups ask IRS to close privacy loophole (April 7, 2008)
• State laws restricting private use of Social Security numbers (November 28, 2007)
• Summary of Federal Social Security Number Privacy Legislation (September 6, 2007)
• Summary of Social Security Number Privacy Legislation (September 6, 2007)

• Consumer groups urge Fed to make electronic disclosure work for consumers (July 5, 2007)
• Consumers Union letter on S. 495 (April 24, 2007)
• Consumers Union letter on S. 1178 (April 24, 2007)
• Fact Sheet about ID Theft (April 11, 2007)
• Oversight Hearing on Data Security, Data Breach Notices, Privacy and Identity Theft (March 12, 2007)
• Consumer and Privacy Groups’ Letter to House Financial Services Committee Opposing H.R. 3997 (March 12, 2007)
• Consumers Union Supports S. 495 (March 11, 2007)
• Competing House bills offer different levels of protection on ID theft (March 4, 2007)
• Consumer groups support measure to require notice of security breaches (February 8, 2007)
• Consumers Union's Guide to State Security Freeze Laws (January 11, 2007)
• Consumer groups recommend more action to President's Identity Theft Task Force (September 26, 2006)
• CU calls for stronger "red flag" process to detect identity theft before it happens (August 28, 2006)
• Consumer Groups Oppose Move to Pass Weak Data Security Bill (July 21, 2006)
• CU supports requiring data brokers to abide fairly in contracts to Homeland Security (July 18, 2006)
• CU supports health information technology amendment (July 10, 2006)
• Montana considers security freeze and other data privacy protections on July 14. (July 7, 2006)
• Groups comment to Subcommittee on Health on HR 4157 (June 7, 2006)
• CU supports efforts to guard privacy of your tax returns (letter) (April 7, 2006)
• Letter to the House supporting data security (March 28, 2006)
• Consumer and Privacy Groups’ Letter to House Financial Services Committee Opposing H.R. 3997 (March 13, 2006)
• When your private telephone records fall into the wrong hands (February 8, 2006)
• DATA bill will not effectively help deal with the very real threat of ID theft (November 16, 2005)
• Testimony before the House on adequate protections from identity theft (November 8, 2005)
• Forty-seven Attorneys General Submit Letter to Congress Regarding Information Security and Identity Theft (November 3, 2005)
• S. 1789 will provide consumers with some significant protections from potential data breaches (November 3, 2005)
• Oversight Hearing on Data Security, Data Breach Notices, Privacy and Identity Theft (September 21, 2005)
• click here.]]>">State security freeze bills (June 14, 2005)
• Click here for the letter. ]]>">CU calls on Congress to enact strong identity theft safeguards (May 9, 2005)
• Measures to prevent ID theft outlined for Senate hearing (April 13, 2005)
• Washington Post article]]>">Article Highlights Need for ID Theft Protections (April 5, 2005)
• CU supports bill to provide national notice of data security breaches (March 29, 2005)
• Letter to Sen. Nelson and Rep Markey in support of the Information Protection & Security Act (March 3, 2005)
• Letter endorsing legislation in Congress to improve security requirements and consumer rights (March 2, 2005)
• Freeze Identity Thieves Out of Consumers' Credit Files (February 2, 2005)
• Letter to the FTC regarding free annual credit report site is blocking web links (December 7, 2004)
• Consumers face risk from the use of Social Security numbers on Medicare cards (October 19, 2004)
• Response letter from CMS regarding social security numbers on Medicare cards (October 18, 2004)
• California Identity Theft and Privacy Laws (October 22, 2003)
• Testimony regarding Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (September 21, 2002)
• Letter to the CA Dept. of Social Services regarding electronic benefit transfer (September 11, 1998)
• Letter to the Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan regarding application of merger (June 25, 1998)
• Letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan on review of bank mergers (April 22, 1998)

Consumers Union News Releases

• CR survey: One in 5 online consumers have been victims of cybercrime (May 4, 2009)
• Alaska governor signs strong new ID theft law (June 13, 2008)
• CU says Social Security numbers need protection (December 11, 2007)
• FTC: 8.3 million identity theft victims in U.S. (November 27, 2007)
• TransUnion offering security freeze nationwide (September 19, 2007)

• CU praises Senate Identity theft legislation (May 3, 2007)
• Consumer Reports finds personal privacy concerns in planned uses of RFIDs (May 4, 2006)
• House bill provides key protections against identity theft (March 29, 2006)
• House panel votes to gut existing state identity theft laws (March 16, 2006)
• Proposed AZ identity theft safeguard too costly for consumers (March 10, 2006)
• CU teams up with Montana Attorney General on ID theft protection (February 9, 2006)
• Record penalty: A wake-up call for tougher ID theft protections? (January 26, 2006)
• House Subcommittee Fails to Maintain Strong Protections for Many Consumers (November 3, 2005)
• House panel guts security breach notice provision to curtail ID theft (November 3, 2005)
• NJ Governor signs ID theft protections into law (September 22, 2005)
• Connecticut Governor signs identity theft bill into law (June 24, 2005)
• Read CU's testimony.]]>">10 million Americans at risk of ID theft from data security breaches (June 24, 2005)
• Illinois Governor signs identity theft protections into law (June 23, 2005)
• Court orders more proceedings on California financial privacy law (June 20, 2005)
• Colorado consumers get powerful new identity theft protection (June 6, 2005)
• Senate Committee to Consider ID Theft Issues at April 13 Hearing (April 11, 2005)
• ChoicePoint ID theft scandal prompts bill to rein in information brokers (March 3, 2005)
• Bank of America computer tape loss puts 1.2 million at risk of ID theft (February 25, 2005)
• Stronger ID theft protections urged in wake of ChoicePoint Fraud (February 17, 2005)
• Medicare cards pose identity theft risk for seniors (October 20, 2004)

Research and Reports

• Consumer groups urge FTC to support low cost, easy to use security freeze (February 25, 2008)
• Your Credit Matters (January 9, 2008)
• World Privacy Forum's Top Ten Opt Outs (December 4, 2007)
• Consumer Reports poll on public attitudes about the use of SSNs (December 4, 2007)
• 8.3 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year (December 4, 2007)
• Key Issues on Financial Privacy and Identity Theft in Congress (December 4, 2007)
• Federal legislators tell consumer reporting agencies to improve the security freeze (October 31, 2007)
• CR Poll: Americans want identity theft protections (September 6, 2007)
• CU urges federal policymakers to restrict the use of Social Security numbers (September 5, 2007)
• Summary of Federal Social Security Number Privacy Legislation (September 5, 2007)

• Congress considers new ID theft protection (July 18, 2007)
• Key Issues on Financial Privacy and Identity Theft in Congress (June 4, 2007)
• Bills in the 110th Congress on notice of security breach and other data security issues (June 4, 2007)
• Another week, another identity theft scandal (May 25, 2007)
• President's ID Theft Task Force's Plan Falls Short (April 23, 2007)
• TJX data security breach puts millions at risk (March 29, 2007)
• CardSystems' security breach shows need for stronger safeguards (March 2, 2007)
• Illinois, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin can use a security freeze to thwart identity thieves. Victims of identity theft in Hawaii and Kansas also got that right in the new year.]]>">More consumers can freeze credit files as of January 1, 2007 (January 29, 2007)
• Real People, Real Stories (October 20, 2006)
• Consumer Reports investigation warns your privacy is for sale (August 31, 2006)
• The secret score behind your auto insurance (August 10, 2006)
• Competing House bills offer different levels of protection on ID theft (June 7, 2006)
• Veterans in some states can freeze access to credit files to stop identity thieves (May 23, 2006)
• Millions of veterans at risk for identity theft following data breach (May 22, 2006)
• Editorial: Credit protection (January 17, 2006)
• World Privacy Forum's Top Ten Opt Outs (August 2, 2005)
• More states giving consumers power to freeze credit files (June 30, 2005)
• Identity theft victims get new protections in Washington state (May 10, 2005)
• Take action. ]]>">Lexis-Nexis security breach puts more consumers at risk of ID theft (March 9, 2005)
• CU opposes proposal to require utilities to report payment information to credit reporting agencies (December 1, 2004)
• expanded rights available to Californians under the state's new financial privacy law. ]]>">California’s New Financial Privacy Law Explained (July 6, 2004)
• You Mean We Don't Have A National Financial Privacy Law? (October 28, 2003)
• Deep-pocketed business groups ramp up efforts to pass consumer credit legislation (September 17, 2003)
• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (February 19, 2003)
• Privacy Journal (January 1, 2003)
• On-line banking policies and principles (October 1, 1999)

Consumer Tips

• Opt out of many mailing lists (June 24, 2009)
• What should I do if I become a victim of identity theft? (June 17, 2009)
• Computer Security Tips from the Government (June 16, 2009)
• Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Page (June 16, 2009)
• Some states making ID theft protection easier (August 28, 2008)
• CU's guide to security freeze protection (June 13, 2008)
• Stop phishing (March 13, 2008)
• State Security Freeze Laws (December 4, 2006)
• Identity Theft: Tips for Consumers (November 1, 2006)
• Stop Thieves from Stealing You (August 28, 2002)

• 39 states lets consumers freeze credit files (July 16, 2007)
• 8.3 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year (October 11, 2006)

Blog Posts

• ID Theft Alert: Digital Copiers (April 20, 2010)
• America's Most Wanted takes on Identity Theft (June 30, 2009)
• Nebraska Identity Theft Bill Advances (March 12, 2009)
• New report grades banks, insurers and brokers on financial privacy. (September 2, 2008)
• To the Grad: Words of Wisdom from Consumer Advocates (June 2, 2008)
• Read your bank statements carefully (February 11, 2008)
• Telephone check? Could the Wachovia “demand draft” problem happen to you? (February 6, 2008)
• Opting Out (August 8, 2007)
• Who should decide if you get notice of a security breach? (July 5, 2007)
• How Many Freeze States Are There Now? (May 17, 2007)
• Record Set! (March 29, 2007)
• Would you like that burger without the credit card fraud? (March 12, 2007)
• Don't Pay for a Fraud Alert (February 1, 2007)
• WSJ Article: Squaring Off! (January 29, 2007)
• Still on the Lookout (November 10, 2006)
• Hunting for Hackers and Thieves (November 7, 2006)
• Can Pictures Really Combat Hackers? (October 25, 2006)
• Are You Knee Deep in Credit Card Fees? (October 19, 2006)