The Personal Data Privacy And Security Act

Keyword: the personal data privacy and security act
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The Personal Data Privacy And Security Act Designed To Protect Information

With the increased incidents of identity theft, the U.S. Government is pushing through the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act to help guard against identity theft as well as requiring more transparency of information brokers. In the works since 2005 in the U.S. Senate, the the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act requires many safeguards to protect an individual's personal, financial and health information from being used without their knowledge and permission.

For many years companies could gather all types of information about an individual and use the information in whatever manner they chose. They could hold sweepstakes and receive individual information, which could subsequently be sold to other businesses for unrelated uses. The Personal Data Privacy and Security Act requires that any business that collects information inform the individual how the information will be used and give them the opportunity to opt out of having it used in any manner other than in which it was intended.

For years, data brokers have been earning tons of money by selling information about private citizens to many different businesses. Even today, businesses collect information and under the guise of sharing the information with third party partners sell that information to possibly thousands of other businesses. Under the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act these business will be required to let the individual know that by signing up for a magazine may mean their purchase history will be known to thousands of others.

Wondering Where All The Offers Come From

Anyone who has ever registered online for a sweepstakes drawing may want to ready the terms and conditions before clicking the submit button. In most cases, entering the drawing is giving the company permission to share whatever information you input into the registration form. Under the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act the companies are required to make this known, but most people simply fail to read the disclaimer and then question why they are getting all the junk mail in the inbox.

While the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act typically applies to information that could be used to access a person's financial records or use the information to open credit accounts in someone else's name, it has the added benefit to keep a person's personal information private. However, regardless of the increased penalties for violating the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act, the sanctity of a person's privacy will only be as good as the person's use of how to opt out of sharing their information.