Join With CDT in Making an Impact on Internet Policy!
|
|
Other Sites
National Do Not Call List
GetNetWise.org
Legislation
Bills-108th Congress (2003-2004)
Bills-107th Congress (2001-2002)
Bills-106th Congress (1999-2000)
Bills-105th Congress (1997-1998)
Protections / Initiatives
Privacy Issues
Wireless Location Information
Privacy Enhancing Technologies
Children
Medical
Financial
Profiling
Intel Processor Serial Number
Personally Identifiable Information
International
OECD Guidelines
EU Data Protection
Publications
"Considering Consumer Privacy: A Resource for Policymakers and Practitioners " (2003)
"P3P and Privacy: An Update" (2000)
Privacy in the Digital Age" (1999)
"Public Records: Access, Privacy and Public Policy" (1995)
Privacy Testimony
Policy Posts
Educational
Privacy Surveys and Results
CDT's Privacy Guide
Lewinski-Starr Quiz
|
|
|
| Personally Identifiable Information |
|
Consumers are often unaware of the reuse and disclosure of personal information they provide to others during daily transactions. While the Internet and
other interactive media are shedding new light on the large market for personal information, consumers are still shocked to learn that information about
their activities ranging from online browsing to grocery shopping is used for a variety of purposes and made available to other companies without their
permission. When individuals become aware of the availability of personal information, many take steps to protect it. Lexis Nexis witnessed one such
demand in August 1996 when thousands of consumers called, emailed, and faxed in requests to be removed from the P-Trak service. Services such as P-Trak, which provide "credit header" information, have been available for quite some time, however most consumers are unaware of their existence.
You can choose to opt-out of P-Trak, and other personal locator services, at CDT's Operation Opt-Out web site.
|
| History - Lexis-Nexis P-Trak Service |
| 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 Senator 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, 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 1996, 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.
In response to Sen. Bryan's inquiry, Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Robert Pitofsky notes in the Sept.
20, 1996, letter that "... [t]he ready availability of this information through
the tracking service may facilitate identity fraud, credit fraud, and other
illegal activities." Chairman Pitofsky recommends strengthening the
Fair Credit Reporting Act to provide protection to information such as
social security number, mother's maiden name, prior addresses, and date
of birth.
Before it adjourned the 104th Congressional Term in November 1996, Congress added an amendment
to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill which directs the Federal Reserve Board
to examine whether the sale of "sensitive consumer identification
information" creates "an undue potential for fraud."Although
this is a half-hearted response to the FTC's recommendations and the public's
cry for action, it is a small tribute to the power and importance of the
Internet in turning public opinion into action.
Following passage of the bill, Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Sen. Larry Pressler
(R-SD), ranking minority member Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC), and Senator
Richard Bryan (D-NV), sent a letter requesting the FTC to conduct a study of online and database privacy issues.
While no legislation was enacted, the outcry over P-Trak
proved useful in two other areas. First, the P-Trak furor may have played
a roll in eliminating an industry pushed exemption to the FCRA which would
have allowed credit reports to be used to generate target marketing lists
-- currently against FTC rules interpreting the FCRA. Second, the recent
announcement by "Privacy Assured", a group of Internet companies
that include Four11 and I/PRO, to voluntarily comply with a series of privacy
protective information practices is clearly tied to a desire to respond
to public concerns over individual privacy.
|
| CDT References |
- CDT Policy Post 2.33 - FTC Recommends Changes to Protect Personal Info, September 25, 1996
- CDT Policy Post 2.37 - Privacy Issues Wrap-Up, November 5, 1996
- CDT Policy Post 3.16 - Industry Responds to Online Community, December 18, 1997
- CDT Testimony at FTC Hearings June 5, 1996
- FTC letter to Sen. Bryan, September 20, 1996
- FTC Press Release, September 23, 1996
- Senators' Letter to FTC, October 8, 1996
- Congressional Request for Federal Reserve Study, November 5, 1996
- CDT Comments to the Federal Reserve - Personal Information Privacy Study, January 31, 1997
- CDT Comments to FTC Regarding Database Study, April 15, 1997
- CDT Comments to the FTC Regarding Consumer and Children's Online Privacy, April 15, 1997
- Industry Responds To Outrage Over Availability Of Personal Information, December 18, 1997
|
| News Articles |
- Service pulls Social Security numbers, c|net news.com article, June 12, 1996
- On-line Service Shields Social Security Numbers, Washington Post article, June 18, 1996, (fee required)
- Furor over personal info on Net, San Francisco Examiner, September 19, 1996
- Awash in Information, Washington Post editorial, September 23, 1996, (fee required)
- FTC
comes along on e-privacy, c|net news.com article, September 23, 1996
- FTC Seeks Credit Agency Access Limits, Washington Post article, September 24, 1996, (fee required)
- Net Users Fear Their Secrets Are For Sale, Washington Post article, September 24, 1996, (fee required)
- FTC Urges Congress To Restrict On-line Access To Personal Data, Washington Post article, September 26, 1996, (fee required)
- Lexis-Nexis Case Prompts Senators' Letter To FTC, Washington Post article, October 10, 1996, (fee required)
|
|
