Editorial: Privacy bill moves, but why not earlier?

Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2000 | 10:36 a.m.

Some meaningful privacy legislation has taken a step forward. The House Ways and Means Committee passed a bill last week that would prevent all levels of government from selling or displaying Social Security numbers. Businesses also couldn't sell these sensitive numbers except for a few types of companies, such as credit reporting agencies and insurance companies, that need them to write policies.

Identity theft has become one of the most worrisome areas in the realm of privacy invasion. Stealing a Social Security number allows a criminal to take on the identity of the unwitting victim, permitting him to make huge purchases, which can destroy the victim's credit rating and throw him into financial ruin before the matter is cleared up.

Unfortunately the fact is that Congress soon will adjourn for the year, making it doubtful this privacy legislation will become a reality. The real question, then, is why hasn't this legislation moved forward earlier, giving it a better chance of becoming law? Congress worries too much about offending businesses, which oppose government restrictions on their ability to collect sensitive data on consumers. So privacy protections take a back seat in Congress' list of priorities -- to the detriment of consumers.