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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

Illinois, Connecticut, and Hawaii pass security freeze legislation

Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security State Issues State Legislation Security Freeze Data Breach Credit Reporting Agency

Privacy, Cyber Risk & Data Security

On June 8, the Illinois governor approved HB 4095, which amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to prohibit consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) from charging consumers a fee for placing, removing, or temporarily lifting a security freeze. The act takes effect immediately.  The Act also permits a consumer to request a security freeze by phone or electronic means, in addition to a request in writing.

This followed a similar action by the Connecticut governor, who on June 4 signed SB 472 to prohibit CRAs from charging a fee to consumers to place, remove, or temporarily lift a security freeze on a consumer's account. The legislation also, among other things, (i) prohibits CRAs from—as a condition of placing the freeze—requiring that consumers agree to limit their claims against the agency; (ii) increases the length of time that identity theft prevention and mitigation services must be provided to a consumer after a security breach from 12 to 24 months; and (iii) provides that the banking commissioner will adopt regulations that require CRAs to provide it with “dedicated points of contact” to allow the Department of Banking to assist consumers when a data breach occurs. The act takes effect October 1.

On June 6, the Hawaii governor signed HB 2342 to enhance protection of consumer information by expanding the methods consumers may use to request security freezes, and by prohibiting credit reporting agencies (CRAs) from charging consumers a fee to place, remove, or temporarily lift a security freeze on a consumer's credit report or records. Among other things, the act now permits a consumer or a “protected consumer’s representative” to request a security freeze via first-class mail, a telephone call, or through a CRA’s designated secure website, and also preserves the CRA’s ability to lift a security freeze when the freeze was executed due to material misrepresentation by the consumer. When lifting a security freeze, CRAs are required to send written confirmation to the affected consumer within five business days. The act takes effect July 1.