Victims, Groups Urge Legislation For Identity Theft

Oct. 1, 2007 - KGO (KGO) -- Victims of identity theft and consumer groups are asking the governor to sign a bill requiring retailers to protect consumers' personal information.

This legislation was written after a single security breach left 445 million consumers' data open to thieves.

Assemblyman Dave Jones wrote the legislation, which he says would require retailers to follow data protection standards the retail industry already recommends. It would also force retailers to pay the cost of these breaches.

"What we're asking for here is very basic simple industry standards, that should be adopted, uh, but that retailers are not adopting," said Assemblyman Dave Jones (D) Sacramento.

"One of the things that most consumers do not know, is that when you swipe your debit card, and punch in your pin, they're actually keeping your pin. So we need to tell retailers in California, stop swiping my pin," said Brent Scott from the Consumers Union.

Retailers, as you would expect, are opposing the measure saying the state should stay out of this, that it is a national problem that needs a national solution. Retailers also say they are working with banks and law enforcement to bring the incidents of data loss down.

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