Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) charges that the ChoicePoint security breach pales in comparison to the personal data available through another data search service, Westlaw, and said he would introduce legislation curbing identity theft.
Schumer said he asked Westlaw to close "an egregious loophole in their Internet-based 'People-Find'" but was "brushed off."
"This egregious loophole makes millions of Social Security numbers available at the touch of a computer button. Average Americans are just as vulnerable to identity theft as Vice President Dick Cheney and supermodel Paris Hilton," Schumer said.
"The employees and interns of corporations, the Federal court system, and the United States Senate do not need unfettered access to millions of Social Security numbers and other private information."
"Westlaws 'People-Find' service might as well be the first chapter of Identity Theft for Dummies," Schumer said. "Criminals no longer need forage through dumpsters for discarded bills - they just need to send Westlaw a check and they're in the identity theft business."
This loophole was brought to Schumer's attention by a constituent who works for the federal courts who then contacted a Schumer staffer who confirmed that the Senate office also has access to this feature.
"I plan to introduce legislation in the very near future to plug these egregious loopholes allowing millions of Social Security numbers to be on the Internet," Schumer told a news conference.
Westlaw is a service used mostly by large insurance companies, state and federal regulatory agencies and law firms. Executives of the company said they were "surprised" by the senator's comments.
