Senate Commerce Committee Continues Data Broker Inquiries

Consumer Reporting U.S. Senate Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security

Recently, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) continued his committee’s examination of the way data brokers collect and share personal information. The Senator sent a letter to one data broker seeking additional information about the broker’s customer vetting practices and how it shares consumer information with those customers. As the basis for the letter, Senator Rockefeller cited news reports alleging that a company acquired in March 2012 by the data broker receiving the letter had sold data to an identity theft scheme. At least one report suggested that the alleged activity continued after the broker conducted its due diligence and completed the acquisition. The Senator’s letter also poses follow up questions based on the broker’s response to the Senator’s original October 2012 request to numerous data brokers, which the Senator expanded to include other industry participants in September 2013.