Published: October 2017

Advocates call on Congress do more for victims of Equifax breach

The Equifax data breach is prompting advocates to call on Congress for better protection of consumers' sensitive financial information. Not only should free credit freeze legislation be implemented immediately, but Congress should also resist the financial and banking industries attempts to pass legislation that preempts stronger state laws in matters that relate to consumers’ data security and privacy.

The news of an Equifax data breach that impacted 145 million consumers has led to consumer advocates pushing for stronger protections for consumers’ financial information. Not only does the scandal highlight the company’s wholly inadequate response to protect the victims and rectify the situation, it highlights the importance of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s new rule that protects a citizen’s right to sue financial companies. Congress needs to take firm and assertive actions to ensure consumers are not further harmed, but made whole, after this egregious data breach by Equifax.

Lead Organization

U.S. PIRG

Other Organizations

Americans for Financial Reform | Allied Progress | Center for Digital Democracy | Consumer Action | Consumer Federation of America | Consumer Watchdog | Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN) | MHANY Management Inc. | Mobilization for Justice, Inc. | NAACP | National Association of Consumer Advocates | National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients) | Public Citizen | Tennessee Citizen Action | U.S. PIRG | Woodstock Institute | World Privacy Forum

More Information

For more information, please visit U.S. PIRG's website.

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Advocates call on Congress do more for victims of Equifax breach   (EquifaxConsumerHillLetter.compressed.pdf)