Senator Golden Developing Stronger Internet Privacy & Safety Measures

Senator Marty Golden has been working on a comprehensive legislation that will protect online privacy and promote internet safety for businesses and individuals, he announced today.

The legislation, which Golden has been developing for the past several months in collaboration with the internet industry leaders, would raise the profile of internet privacy issues in New York, by creating an Office of Online Privacy and Internet Safety directly responsible to the governor.

“The news is filled these days with reports recently about large-scale breaches of security and loss of personally identifiable information to hackers,” Golden said in a statement. “The result is that people lose money, property, and security. What may not be known, since only the breaches get reported, is that there are thousands of ongoing daily attacks on public and private websites as well as internet services. The risk threat is ongoing.”

Golden says his goal is to inform consumers about online privacy and safety, as well as to ensure that providers take necessary steps to protect the confidentiality of information they receive. The proposed legislation would help the State prosecute hackers; would prohibit violations of privacy by corporations, academic institutions, and landlords; and would rewrite privacy laws to insure that penalties are proportionate to the damages inflicted.

The new office would coordinate and collaborate with other agencies involved in online privacy issues, such as the Attorney General, the Office of Information Technology, the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and others.

Golden noted that ten years ago there was no Twitter, Facebook was just being launched, and Pinterest had not even been dreamed of.

“Each new technological development brings enjoyment and entertainment, but also is a ground for new threats,” he said. “We need to be looking at these and balancing the issues of pleasure, risk, and security. People and businesses need to know what steps they can take to protect themselves, and what to do if their security is violated.”

The legislation also makes significant changes to protect the privacy of individuals, employees, students, and tenants, with respect to social media and personal email, prohibiting employers and academic institutions and landlords from requiring access to personal social media and email accounts – with strict exceptions, such as for criminal investigations. It also requires destruction of personal information when an account is canceled, and prohibits the use of a portion of a social security number.

“The hackers have become so sophisticated that they can reconstruct a social security number from even a portion of the full number,” Golden noted.

As chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Science, Technology, Incubation and Entrepreneurship, Golden has made a strong push for stronger protections against identity theft, credit card fraud, and other internet security problems for businesses and individuals.