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The author of this blog, David T.S. Fraser, is a Canadian privacy lawyer who practices with the firm of McInnes Cooper. He is the author of the Physicians' Privacy Manual. He has a national and international practice advising corporations and individuals on matters related to Canadian privacy laws.

For full contact information and a brief bio, please see David's profile.

Please note that I am only able to provide legal advice to clients. I am not able to provide free legal advice. Any unsolicited information sent to David Fraser cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

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The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to his employer or clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.

This web site is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and David T.S. Fraser. If you are seeking specific advice related to Canadian privacy law or PIPEDA, contact the author, David T.S. Fraser.

Saturday, August 21, 2004

Article: Credit companies cool toward 'freeze'

The ability to freeze one's credit report is touted in a number of articles as the solution to ID theft. Is short, a consumer can lock his or her credit report so that it can only be released by a PIN given directly by the consumer. If credit grantor can't successfully get a credit report at the behest of an ID thief, no credit can be granted and no ID theft.

I have no idea if this is available in Canada, but you may be able to argue that PIPEDA would provide for this if you told all the consumer credit agencies that they do not have your permission to disclose your personal information except with your explicit consent, confirmed via a PIN or other tool. Most consumers have, via credit card agreements and others, given carte blanche to access credit reports, so you may not be able to revoke this.

Credit companies cool towards 'freeze'
By BRIAN BERGSTEIN
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Little by little, a weapon against identity theft is gaining currency — but few people know about it. It's called the security freeze, and it lets individuals block access to their credit reports until they personally unlock the files by contacting the credit bureaus and providing a PIN code.

Credit agencies were required to allow freezes, at least in California, thanks to a new state law. For more info, you can also check out http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/legislation_california_sb168.html

Labels: identity theft, information breaches