[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
CDT Policy Post 2.33 - FTC Recommends Changes to Protect Personal Info
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
_____ _____ _______
/ ____| __ \__ __| ____ ___ ____ __
| | | | | | | | / __ \____ / (_)______ __ / __ \____ _____/ /_
| | | | | | | | / /_/ / __ \/ / / ___/ / / / / /_/ / __ \/ ___/ __/
| |____| |__| | | | / ____/ /_/ / / / /__/ /_/ / / ____/ /_/ (__ ) /_
\_____|_____/ |_| /_/ \____/_/_/\___/\__, / /_/ \____/____/\__/
The Center for Democracy and Technology /____/ Volume 2, Number 33
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A briefing on public policy issues affecting civil liberties online
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CDT POLICY POST Volume 2, Number 33 September 25, 1996
CONTENTS: (1) FTC Recommends Changes to Protect Personal Information;
Recommendations Follow Netizen Complaints about P-Trak
(2) How to Remove Your Name From P-Trak
(3) How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe to the Policy Post list
(4) About CDT, contacting us
** This document may be redistributed freely with this banner intact **
Excerpts may be re-posted with permission of <editor@cdt.org>
** This document looks best when viewed in COURIER font **
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) FTC RECOMMENDS CHANGES TO PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION; RECOMMENDATIONS
FOLLOW NETIZEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT P-TRAK
On Friday, September 20, 1996, the Federal Trade Commission recommended
that Congress take action to protect the privacy of personal information by
amending the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FTC's recommendations --
included in a letter to Sen. Richard Bryan (D-NV) -- come on the heels of
consumer outrage being expressed over the recently-released online database,
P-Trak, offered by the information service Lexis-Nexis.
P-Trak provides personal information on millions of people across the
country. For a fee of $85 per search, Lexis-Nexis subscribers can obtain
personal information about an individual that can include name, current and
prior addresses, maiden names, birth month and year, and current telephone
number. In June, Lexis-Nexis stopped displaying Social Security numbers in
response to complaints from consumers and privacy advocates about the
availability of that information. However, P-Trak users can still search the
database by Social Security number.
A primary source for this personal information is credit reports from credit
bureaus, such as Equifax, Experian (formerly TRW), and TransUnion. The
information is found in the header, or top, of a person's credit report.
Under the current FCRA, credit bureaus may release and sell the type of
information contained in the P-Trak database without limitation. The FTC
proposes amending the FCRA to prohibit the disclosure of certain personal
information by expanding the definition of "consumer report" to include "any
identifying information other than the consumer's name, generational
designation, current address and telephone number."
Currently most people are unaware of the vast amount of information that is
generated, captured, used and disclosed during daily activities -- from the
membership card scanned in at the grocery store checkout, which neatly
tallies our purchases and spending habits, to departments of motor
vehicles which make a profit selling our personal information for
marketing and other purposes. As the public learns of the collection and
use of personal information by the private sector -- information that is
increasingly made available in electronic format -- pressure to address
privacy concerns will grow.
As Congress moves to adjourn for the session at the end of the week, the
Senate is currently considering amendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
CDT believes adoption of the FTC's recommendations would be an important
first step in acknowledging that individuals have a privacy interest in
personal information such as social security numbers, prior addresses, and
maiden names.
To preserve privacy in the digital age, CDT believes that the core privacy
principles of notice and individual control over personal information must
inform both the design of the information infrastructure and public policy
decisions. CDT supports Congressional approval of the FTC's recommendations
in response to the growing public concern over the loss of privacy.
For information about this and other privacy issues, including the text of
the FTC response to Sen. Bryan and the FTC press release, links to press
clips about P-Trak, previous FTC hearings regarding online privacy, and more,
visit CDT's Privacy Issues Page:
http://www.cdt.org/privacy/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) HOW TO REMOVE YOUR NAME FROM P-TRAK
Those who are interested in removing their personal information from the
database can contact Lexis-Nexis one of the following ways:
Web: http://138.12.4.44/lncc/p-trak/index.html
Fax: 513-865-1930
E-mail: p-trak@prod.lexis-nexis.com
Snail Mail: Lexis-Nexis
ATTN: P-TRAK
P.O. Box 933
Dayton, OH 45401
Please provide your full name and complete address when submitting your
request. NOTE: Lexis-Nexis is under no legal obligation to remove your
name from its database!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
Be sure you are up to date on the latest public policy issues affecting
civil liberties online and how they will affect you! Subscribe to the CDT
Policy Post news distribution list. CDT Policy Posts, the regular news
publication of the Center For Democracy and Technology, are received by
nearly 10,000 Internet users, industry leaders, policy makers and
activists, and have become the leading source for information about
critical free speech and privacy issues affecting the Internet and other
interactive communications media.
To subscribe to CDT's Policy Post list, send mail to
policy-posts-request@cdt.org
with a subject:
subscribe policy-posts
If you ever wish to remove yourself from the list, send mail to the
above address with a subject of:
unsubscribe policy-posts
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(4) ABOUT THE CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY/CONTACTING US
The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest
organization based in Washington, DC. The Center's mission is to develop
and advocate public policies that advance democratic values and
constitutional civil liberties in new computer and communications
technologies.
Contacting us:
General information: info@cdt.org
World Wide Web: URL:http://www.cdt.org/
FTP URL:ftp://ftp.cdt.org/pub/cdt/
Snail Mail: The Center for Democracy and Technology
1634 Eye Street NW * Suite 1100 * Washington, DC 20006
(v) +1.202.637.9800 * (f) +1.202.637.0968
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
End Policy Post 2.33 9/25/96
-----------------------------------------------------------------------