Washington state attorney general Christine Gregoire has formed a task force to examine potential privacy violations by businesses collecting, using and disseminating personal data about their customers.
In response to consumer complaints, Gregoire said her office will investigate allegedly fraudulent telemarketers who have access to information received from banks. The task force, she said, will look for ideas to prevent improper dissemination of private data.
Chaired by Seattle attorney Jenny Durkan, the Consumer Privacy Task Force will:
* Review issues involved with the gathering and sharing of such data.
* Examine the adequacy and jurisdiction of current state consumer protection and privacy laws.
* Recommend changes to strengthen consumer privacy protections to the legislature for consideration next session.
The committee includes representatives from private industry, local retailers, the financial community, law enforcement and state and federal government agencies, as well as elected officials and consumer advocates.
The group is expected to submit its final report and recommendations to Gregoire later this year.
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