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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Effective Jan. 1, 2020, AB 1130 will update the state’s existing data breach notification law by requiring businesses to maintain reasonable security measures to protect government-issued identification numbers and biometric information from breach, and to notify consumers when such information is compromised.
“With the passage of AB 1130, California has once again proven it deserves its reputation as the nation’s leader in data privacy and protection,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Consumers have a right to know if their personal data is compromised by an unauthorized source. Now, California law will require companies to treat consumers’ passport numbers and unique biometric data with the same security that they would a credit card or Social Security number — if you collect it, you must protect it.”
“There is a real danger when our personal information is not protected by those we trust,” said Assemblymember Levine. “Businesses must do more to protect personal data and I am proud to stand with Attorney General Becerra in demanding greater disclosure by a company when a data breach has occurred. AB 1130 will increase our efforts to protect consumers from fraud and affirms our commitment to demand the strongest consumer protections in the nation.”
In 2003, California became the first state to pass a data breach notification law requiring companies to protect against the unauthorized access of consumers’ personal information, including identifiers such as a person’s Social Security number, driver’s license number, credit card number, and medical and health insurance information.
AB 1130 will now update that law to include tax identification numbers, passport numbers, military identification numbers, A-numbers, or other unique identification numbers issued on a government document commonly used to verify the identity of a specific individual.
Because these numbers are unique, static identifiers of a person, they are valuable to criminals seeking to create or build fake profiles and commit sophisticated identity theft and fraud. AB 1130 also updates the statute to include protection for a person’s unique biometric information, such as a fingerprint, or image of a retina or iris.
Assemblymember Levine introduced AB 1130 on February 21, 2019. The legislation was prompted by the massive data breach of the guest database at Starwood Hotels – recently acquired by Marriott – in 2018. Marriott revealed that the massive breach exposed more than 327 million records containing guests’ names, addresses, and more than 25 million passport numbers, among other things.
Though the company did notify consumers of the breach, there was not previously any law requiring companies to protect such information or report breaches if only consumers’ passport numbers had been improperly accessed.
Attorney General Becerra is committed to protecting consumer and individual privacy. Since taking office in January 2017, he has announced a $600 million settlement with Equifax for improperly exposing the personal information of 147 million consumers; a $148 million settlement with Uber for failing to notify regulators and users of a data breach; an $18.5 million settlement with Target for failing to provide reasonable data security; a $9.8 million settlement with Walgreens for failing to adhere fully to requirements imposed by California law for the dispensing of certain prescriptions drugs under Medi‑Cal; and a $3.5 million settlement with Lenovo for illegally preinstalling software that compromised the security of its computers.
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- Written by: California Department of Food and Agriculture
The term of office for a member of the Shell Egg Advisory Committee is three years. Members of the committee receive no compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem expenses such as mileage, lodging, meals, and incidental expenses.
The vacancies are for four industry members and one alternate member. The term of office for the four industry vacancies are a limited term, expiring Jan. 6, 2023.
The term of office for the alternate vacancy is also a limited term, expiring Jan. 1, 2023.
Applicants for the industry vacancies must be a registered egg handler or a representative of a registered egg handler in the state of California.
Individuals interested in being considered should state which vacancy they are interested and send a brief resume by Dec. 13 to Anthony Herrera, Egg Quality Manager, California Department of Food & Agriculture, 1220 N St., Sacramento, CA 95814.
Additional information is available on the Egg Safety and Quality Management program’s Web page at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/mpes/esqm.html.
You may also contact Anthony Herrera, ESQM Program supervisor, at 916-900-5062.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Senate Bill 240 requires the California Department of Insurance to produce information on the most significant state insurance laws related to disasters and set training standards for agents handling catastrophic events.
It also mandates that insurers provide a single point of contact for customers to make processing claims easier.
“I thank Gov. Newsom for signing this bill, which will improve the often frustrating experience of filing an insurance claim,” Sen. Dodd said. “We heard numerous complaints after the 2017 wildfires about insurance industry practices that unnecessarily extended processing time and really, re-victimized the victims. This new law will prevent that from happening again when the next fire or disaster strikes.”
SB 240, which would become the Insurance Adjuster Act of 2019, is supported by The California Department of Insurance as well as state and local consumer advocates. It was signed by Gov. Newsom late Thursday.
“Dealing with the insurance adjusters was frustrating,” said Stuart Funk of Napa, who lost his home in the 2017 wildfires. “It was like playing Who’s on First? They ran about three people from Oklahoma at us. Just when I had a rapport with one adjuster, I was talking to a new guy who needed the whole story again. Continuity is extremely important and I thank Sen. Dodd for his effort to stop this poor treatment.”
“In many cases, wildfire survivors turned to their insurers for help and encountered only obstacles,” said Ronit Rubinoff, executive director of Legal Aid of Sonoma County. “It shouldn’t be like that. I commend Gov. Newsom and Sen. Dodd for taking this important step toward removing barriers to recovery.”
Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties.
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- Written by: Better Business Bureau
National crises prompt scammers to act quickly in order to profit off of the state of the nation. Scammers prey on victims’ emotions and vulnerability in the wake of national crisis and natural disasters, and BBB advises donors to be mindful when considering giving money to relief organizations.
Fraudulent charities are also known to pop up when disasters or crises occur, while credible charities are established organizations with longevity.
Scammers posing as natural disaster relief organizations commonly use official-sounding titles to deceive donors into thinking their charity is credible. Just because the name of the relief fund sounds realistic, does not mean that it is a credible charity.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and GoFundMe are both credible resource pages for consumers to visit when considering donating to Hurricane Dorian Relief.
BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance offers additional tips for consumers that are considering donating to a charity, nonprofit, or crowdfunding. Wise Giving Alliance is a resource for donors to ensure that their donation will count. If you are considering donating to a charity in response to a natural disaster, visit Give.org for more information and resources before you donate.
The following BBB tips will help you outsmart scammers that take advantage of natural disasters and crises:
– Use Give.org’s charity directory to cross-check charities that appear in the media. BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance’s directory includes 11,000 reports on charities. Conducting research ensures you donate your money to a charity that is ethical and making an impact. For more tips for giving to disaster relief charities from BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance, click here.
– Donate to established charities that you already know about. Fake charities pop up in the midst of crisis or natural disaster and can appear legitimate with an official-sounding name or website. When looking to donate, find charities that are established. If you are looking for recommendations of credible charities, consider Wise Giving Alliance’s list of credible charities responding to Hurricane Dorian here.
– Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. Although hurricanes and natural disasters can incite vulnerability, be mindful of charities with a strong emotional appeal. Scammers will use donor’s emotions and vulnerability to get their money, so exercise caution and think critically when choosing your charity.
– Determine what the charity will do with your donation. Phony charities make empty or vague promises about what they do with donation money. Make sure that the charity is clear and specific about where your money is going. Visit give.org to research credible charities, and look for charities that clearly disclose what they will do with your donation.
– Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker to help warn others about fraudulent companies. If you see an advertisement that looks fake, you can report it to BBB AdTruth. If you have an issue with a business, you can file a complaint at bbb.org.