Tell Committee members: Reject AB 844, which destroys credit card privacy
On Wednesday, July 3, the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee will vote on anti-privacy bill AB 844 (Dickinson).
AB 844 is being touted as a bill to protect consumers’ personal information for online credit card purchases, with claims it will better protect consumers’ privacy by safeguarding against the exploitation of personal information. Unfortunately, newly amended AB 844 is a Trojan Horse that actually destroys credit card privacy protections of current California law.
Originally, AB 844 was intended to restore consumer privacy protections in online transactions in response to a recent California Supreme Court’s ruling, when the majority ruled that online merchants can require consumers to furnish personally identifiable information, including address, phone number, and other data in order to make online credit card purchases.
As introduced, the bill applied the principle of privacy to online credit and debit card transactions, with limited new exceptions for fraud prevention.
But in sharp contrast to its original intent, the amended bill would eviscerate the privacy provisions that have applied to brick and mortar and other credit card purchases for over 20 years. AB 844 would give merchants in any credit card transaction a license to violate a consumer’s right to privacy with impunity
California must reject legislation that would destroy existing credit card privacy. Contact the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee today and urge the members to oppose AB 844.