WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Morris privacy proposals consistent with FTC recommendations

OLYMPIA: Last week the Federal Trade Commission released recommendations for businesses to best protect the privacy of consumers. The report builds upon a preliminary report released back in 2010, and outlines three important goals for companies handling consumer data: privacy by design, simplified choice for businesses and consumers, and greater transparency.

Here in Washington State, Representative Jeff Morris (D-Mount Vernon) applauded the FTC recommendations.

“Important technological advances are happening each day and the results are very exciting, but unfortunately consumer privacy often falls victim,” said Rep. Morris. “I’ve been supporting privacy protections in the state legislature for years, and I’m glad that the FTC report recommends similar principals.”

Rep. Morris has previously served as Chair of House Committee on Technology, Energy and Communications. Back in 2003, Rep. Morris’ committee passed legislation to prohibit businesses from sending unsolicited commercial text messages to numbers belonging to Washington residents. The bill was eventually approved by the legislature and signed into law. Because a wireless customer would pay to receive the unsolicited message, the change saves Washingtonians money on their monthly bill while protecting their privacy.

In 2007, Rep. Morris introduced a bill consistent with the FTC’s goal of “greater transparency” and “privacy by design”. The bill would have allowed a customer to request a copy of their profile data from their communications provider. The language also stipulated that, if necessary, the customer must be given the opportunity to consent, amend, or request removal of data.

A year later Rep. Morris fought the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) chips for criminal purposes like fraud or identity theft. Rep. Morris’ bill made the unauthorized reading of data from a RFID chip a Class C felony, which comes with a price tag of $10,000 and five years in prison. The change made Washington the first in the nation to move the crime to Class C. Rep. Morris also supported legislation to move the penalty for a person possessing, reading, or capturing information on another person’s enhanced driver’s license remotely without the victim’s consent up to a Class C felony.

In addition, Rep. Morris sponsored a measure to require labeling of RFID chips in consumer products and government identification reflected in the FTC’s goal of “simplified choice for businesses and consumers”.

“People are unknowingly giving out their most personal of information and it’s absolutely our job to protect them,” said Rep. Morris. “While most of these issues will be resolved at the federal level, I will continue to support common-sense privacy principles in the state legislature.”