(JUNEAU) - The private information of Alaska consumers would have greater protection under a bill introduced today by Sen. Gene Therriault (R-North Pole).

"In this age of identity theft and prolific consumer record keeping, the opportunity for exploitation of citizens is tremendous. When mistakes are made, responsible parties must cooperate to protect the individual and rectify the problems as quickly as possible. Those who wish to be in the business of controlling personal information must accept the full risks associated with potential mishandling of their records," Sen. Therriault said.

SB 180 addresses breaches of security involving personal information, consumer report security freezes, protection of social security numbers, disposal of records and the accuracy of reports on credit history, score and ranking.

The bill establishes penalties and civil remedies and includes provisions to:

• Require record keepers to notify affected parties without unreasonable delay when personal records are compromised through a security breach.
• Allow an individual to invoke a security freeze on all or part of personal information being released by a consumer-reporting agency about the individual.
• Require accurate reports by credit agencies and make the agency responsible for any damage caused through the release of inaccurate credit information, including compensation.
• Limit the public release of a person's social security number except with consent.
• Require responsible protection in the disposal of personal information through the use of effective record destruction.

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