The Canadian Privacy Law Blog: Developments in privacy law and writings of a Canadian privacy lawyer, containing information related to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (aka PIPEDA) and other Canadian and international laws.

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The author of this blog, David T.S. Fraser, is a Canadian privacy lawyer who practices with the firm of McInnes Cooper. He is the author of the Physicians' Privacy Manual. He has a national and international practice advising corporations and individuals on matters related to Canadian privacy laws.

For full contact information and a brief bio, please see David's profile.

Please note that I am only able to provide legal advice to clients. I am not able to provide free legal advice. Any unsolicited information sent to David Fraser cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

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The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to his employer or clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.

This web site is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and David T.S. Fraser. If you are seeking specific advice related to Canadian privacy law or PIPEDA, contact the author, David T.S. Fraser.

Monday, February 28, 2005

US Senator Says Westlaw Data Service Has Lax Rules for Security

In the fallout of the ChoicePoint incident, legislators are turning their eyes to other data aggregators. Senator Schumer (D NY) held a press conference to show the kind of information that is available to subscribers of Westlaw's People-Find database. He dredged up personal information on high profile folks, including Paris Hilton (won't they leave the poor - I mean unlucky - girl alone?):

The New York Times > Business > Senator Says Data Service Has Lax Rules for Security:
"As the fallout continued to spread from the news of a security breach at ChoicePoint, a company that inadvertently sold sensitive consumer data to thieves last year, Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, took aim at another data search service, Westlaw. He promised to introduce broad new legislation aimed at curbing identity theft.
At a news conference in Washington yesterday, Mr. Schumer complained that any employee - from high-level managers to interns - of a company subscribing to Westlaw's databases could access sensitive records on millions of people, including Social Security numbers, previous addresses, dates of birth and other data that is valuable to identity thieves.
Mr. Schumer presented a parade of posters of well-known individuals whose information was available on Westlaw, including the former attorney general John Ashcroft, Vice President Dick Cheney, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor Brad Pitt and the heiress Paris Hilton. The posters obscured their personal data...."

The author of this article, Tom Zeller Jr., also had an excellent article on February 24th that is well worth reading: The New York Times > Business > Breach Points Up Flaws in Privacy Laws

Labels: choicepoint, identity theft, information breaches