Opponents Target Bill Lifting Ban On Secret Recordings Of Cell Phone Calls
SACRAMENTO – Two dozen consumer, privacy, senior, student, labor and immigrant advocacy groups urge the defeat of Assembly Bill 925 (Evan Low, D-Campbell), which would eliminate a longstanding prohibition against businesses secretly recording cell phone calls with customers. The Assembly Committee on Public Safety hears the bill at 9 a.m. today (May 5). Read More ›
AB 925 Lets Debt Collectors, Subprime Lenders, Others Secretly Record Phone Calls
SACRAMENTO – A coalition of California consumer, privacy, senior, student, labor and immigrant advocates urge the defeat of Assembly Bill 925 (Evan Low, D-Campbell), which would eliminate a longstanding prohibition against secret recordings of consumer cell phone calls by subprime lenders, debt collectors, student loan companies, hotels, health care providers, retailers and other businesses. Key backers of AB 925 include AT&T, Verizon and high-tech corporate lobbyists. Read More ›
L.A. Sues Wells Fargo, Alleging ‘Unlawful And Fraudulent Conduct’
by E. Scott Reckard, Los Angeles Times
The civil complaint, filed Monday in state court in Los Angeles by City Atty. Mike Feuer, says the largest California-based bank encouraged its employees to engage “in unfair, unlawful and fraudulent conduct” through a pervasive culture of high-pressure sales. Employees misused customers’ confidential information and often failed to close unauthorized accounts even when customers complained, the suit alleges. … In addition to charging fees on unwanted accounts, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo harmed customers by placing them into collections based on unauthorized withdrawals and reported damaging information on their credit reports … Read More ›
Editorial: Phone Privacy Under Assault
by the Editorial Board, San Francisco Chronicle
“This call may be recorded … ” Businesses don’t just offer the message as a courtesy to their customers – obtaining “two-party consent” before recording a phone conversation had been the law of the state for more than two decades. However, that law would be weakened considerably under Assembly Bill 925, authored by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-San Jose. … An aide to Low suggested Monday that the bill would be amended to meet some of the concerns, Better yet, it needs to be scrapped. Read More ›
Uber Ride Takes Violent Turn
by Hannah Albarazi, Bay City News
The passenger told the driver he would like to get out of the car but the driver refused to stop and continued driving. At Pier 30, just past the passenger’s requested destination, the passenger managed to open the car door and attempted to run away, but the driver allegedly chased after him on foot, police said. When the driver caught up to the passenger, he kicked him and then robbed him of his cellphone and debit card, police said. When the driver caught up to the passenger, he kicked him and then robbed him of his cellphone and debit card, police said. Read More ›
AB 925 Dies: Secret Recording Of Business-Customer Cell Phone Calls Remains A Crime
Democrats on the Assembly Committee on Public Safety approved AB 925 on a 5-2 party line vote after strenuous opposition from CFC and other consumer, privacy, senior, student, labor and immigrant advocacy groups weakened the bill. Amendments were not yet in print but reportedly would require notification to customers that a call may be recorded 20 seconds into a cell phone conversation, so it remains a bad bill. Read More ›
Corinthian Closing Its Last Schools; 10,000 California Students Displaced
by Chris Kirkham, Los Angeles Times
“This has really exposed the shortcomings of federal and state oversight, and the accreditation system,” said Pauline Abernathy, vice president of the Institute for College Access & Success. “The fact that a school could be allowed to get so big and so reliant on taxpayer funding — and to harm so many students without action being taken sooner — really exposes the need to reform the system at all levels.” Read More ›
Privacy Getting Taken For A Ride
by Samantha Gallegos, Capitol Weekly
Sponsored by the Consumer Federation of California, a non-profit consumer-rights advocacy group, [Assembly Member Ed] Chau’s bill would set up privacy standards related to “personally identifiable data” that [Transportation Network Companies] — like Uber or Lyft — would be required to follow. Those standards don’t exist now, Chau said. “I guess you could say, well, protecting some personal data is better than protecting none,” said Richard Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation. “Right now none is protected. And I don’t believe the flawed argument that Internet-based companies should have greater freedom than the other businesses who collect and share data.” Read More ›
Federal Data-Breach Bill Would Replace Dozens Of Stronger State Laws
by David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times
Among other significant differences between the federal bill and the state’s notification law, according to the Consumer Federation of California: The federal law would eliminate a state requirement that the California attorney general be given notice of any security breach; it would allow the state attorney general to file a civil lawsuit but prevent individuals from suing over a data breach; it would no longer require breached companies to provide free ID theft protection services, such as credit monitoring and fraud alerts. Read More ›
California Bill Would Force Uber To Guard Passenger Privacy
by Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle
A bill pending in Sacramento would force Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing companies to follow stricter privacy rules. AB886 specifies that the smartphone-ordered ride services cannot disclose any data on passengers except to combat fraud or other crimes. It also says the companies must destroy all personal information when customers cancel their accounts. “We want to put the consumers in the driver’s seat about who owns their data and personal information, instead of having them take a back seat,” said bill author Assemblyman Ed Chau. Read More ›
AB 886 (Chau) Protects Uber Passenger Privacy
SACRAMENTO – Assembly Bill 886 (Chau, D-Monterey Park) will protect the sensitive personal information and credit card records of passengers using transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber. Read More ›
Report: Medical data breaches are rising, with no end in sight
by Victoria Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle
These health data attacks give hackers all the information they need to assume a patient’s identity, launch targeted “phishing” attacks, clean out bank accounts and commit crimes under the victim’s name, said Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, an arm of a nonprofit public interest research group in San Diego County. “What we have found with working with victims of medical identity theft is that most don’t find out for about two years,” Dixon said. “The sophisticated criminals who are committing these crimes are waiting to act on the data so there is less risk of being caught.” Read More ›
California Privacy Advocates Urge Defeat Of Federal Data Breach Notice Bill
SACRAMENTO – Six California privacy and consumer groups have called on members of the US House Energy and Commerce Committee to oppose federal legislation that would wipe out California’s landmark data breach notification laws. The House Committee may hear the Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015 as early as Wednesday, April 15. California Congress members on the House committee are Lois Capps, Tony Cardenas, Anna Eshoo, Doris Matsui and Jerry McNerney. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Consumer Federation of California, Consumer Watchdog, World Privacy Forum, The Utility Reform Network (TURN), and Consumer Action are urging the members of Congress to defeat the proposed federal bill. – See more at: https://consumercal.org/california-privacy-advocates-urge-defeat-of-federal-data-breach-notice-bill/#sthash.gYAOYSz5.dpuf Read More ›