A New Year Brings a New Vermont Law Aimed at Data Brokers and Credit Reporting Agencies

By Laura E. Jehl and Sara Goldstein on January 15, 2019 Posted in Consumer Data, State Legislation

On Jan. 1, 2019, a new Vermont law intended to protect consumers by imposing new requirements on “data brokers,” companies that aggregate and sell consumer information, and credit reporting agencies took effect. Under the new law, data brokers must comply with registration, information security safeguards and reporting requirements, while credit reporting agencies are prohibited from … Continue Reading

FTC Report Seeks Congressional Review of Data Broker Industry

By Pamela Jones Harbour, Erik Raven-Hansen, William W. Hellmuth and Jenna N. Felz on June 12, 2014 Posted in Big Data

As the advent of “big data” increasingly takes center stage in the data and privacy sphere, data brokers—companies that compile and resell or share consumers’ personal data—have come under increased scrutiny. On May 27, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a report titled “Data Brokers: A Call for Transparency and Accountability,” as part of … Continue Reading

Congress Steps Up its Scrutiny of Data Brokers

By Pamela Jones Harbour on February 17, 2014 Posted in Online Privacy

In keeping with Congress’s heightened focus on privacy practices in the data broker industry, Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) introduced a bill that would require increased transparency and accountability in the collection and sale of private consumer data. Describing data brokers as operating a “shadow industry” with “very little scrutiny and oversight,” … Continue Reading