New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer Monday said he is seeking stronger state laws against identity theft and computer hacking.
Spitzer's office, together with several consumer advocate groups and crime victim organizations, are asking legislators to give consumers better control over personal information, enhance the state's ability to prosecute crimes that lead to identity theft, and boost penalties.
Spitzer, known for his sweeping probes of Wall Street research, the mutual fund and insurance industries, said he submitted a package of bills to the state legislature.
New York ranked seventh in the United States in per-capita identify theft reports, according to a February report by the Federal Identify Theft Data Clearinghouse. The group also said more than a third of fraud claims last year stemmed from identify theft.
In recent months, identify theft has become a hot-button issue as several companies disclosed security breakdowns leading to misuse of personal information. Data brokers ChoicePoint Inc. and LexisNexis recently disclosed that, in total, files of 450,000 consumers were breached, while Bank of America Corp. said it lost track of backup tapes with 1.2 million accounts.
Spitzer is seeking election next year to become New York's governor.
The bills would allow for security freezes on credit files and boost protection against companies disclosing Social Security numbers. Consumers would also receive notice whenever a company shares personal data with another party and ensure access to profiles compiled by personal information brokers.
Companies would also have to notify consumers of a major security breach and make it easier for victims to file criminal complaints with law enforcement agencies, the Spitzer statement said.
The bills also would establish a New York opt-out list for consumers who do not want their personal data shared, similar to the telemarketing "do not call" program.
On the prosecution front, the bills would create specific criminal penalties for computer hackers for using encryption to conceal a crime, and higher penalties for those who gain unauthorized access to personal data.
