Two bills aimed at protecting California residents from identity theft and privacy invasion are making their way through the state legislature.
Late last week, the State Senate passed 40-0 SB 612, a measure which would allow identity theft to be prosecuted in the county in which the victim lives, according to State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), the bill’s sponsor.
“Current law permits prosecution in the county in which the theft occurred or the county in which the information was illegally used, both of which may be hundreds of miles away from the victim’s home,” said Simitian, in a statement.
The Senate also passed SB 364, also authored by Simitian, which would require that consumers receive a clear, informative notification letter when personal data kept by a business or public agency has been stolen.
SB 364, which passed 30-7, also requires the state to establish a central reporting site to catalog security breaches.
“Businesses and public agencies already are required to notify people whose personal information might have fallen into the wrong hands,” said Simitian. “But there is no standard set for what information must be included in the notice.
“Some businesses let people know what has happened and what they can do to protect themselves. Others have sugarcoated the news, or buried it in legal jargon, with the result that people don’t understand their vulnerability to identity theft.”
Both bills are awaiting action in the State Assembly.
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