Feinstein Proposes Legislation On Identity Theft

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), introduced federal legislation this week in the hope of bringing everyone under same protection regarding ID theft that is now enjoyed by the citizens of California.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings Wednesday TechWeb News reports.

"After additional discussions with privacy rights advocates, it became clear that much more needed to be done to protect Americans," Feinstein said in a statement as she explained why she strengthened the bill.

Her bill is a strengthened version of California's "Security Breach Information Act".

It will require companies to notify its' customers whenever it is discovered their identity data has been compromised. Unlike the California law, TechWeb reports the proposed federal legislation will include

both electronic and non-electronic data, as well as encrypted and non-encrypted data, lets consumers put a seven-year fraud alert on their credit report, lays out the specific requirements companies must meet when they notify users, and levies stiffer penalties for non-compliance.

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