House Commerce Committee Announces Plans for Comprehensive Review of Data Security and Electronic Privacy

The House Commerce Committee is launching a thorough review of data security and electronic privacy issues affecting American businesses and consumers. The committee has begun its work with hearings to shed light on the foundational question of data security, which has drawn increased attention in the wake of recent high-profile data breaches affecting tens of millions of consumers. While data security and prevention of data theft will mark the first phase of the committee's action, the Energy and Commerce Committee will also look later in the year at broader electronic privacy concerns. The committee has a long history addressing of more complex privacy-related matters, from the historic protections afforded under the Health Information Privacy law and Gramm-Leach-Bliley to continuing oversight in the last decade.

The first phase of the committee's review will look at the security of personal information collected and maintained online, particularly in light of the fact that nearly nine million Americans a year are victims of identity theft. Breached records include reports detailing consumers’ financial and medical records. Sophisticated hackers have been successful in obtaining access to personal information such as names, birthdays, credit card numbers, PIN numbers, and social security numbers. The ramifications of a data breach are both costly and time consuming for businesses and consumers.