Danielle D’onfro, lecturer in the School of Law
This is what has happened following the revelation that a data breach at Equifax exposed the personal information of more than half of the nation’s adult population. The company’s best offer is free credit monitoring for a year, but only after victims provide more personal information. Equifax has no public plan to compensate impacted individuals and communities. And it need not have a plan, because our laws do not require it to pay the actual cost of this kind of harm.
Having personal data exposed online might feel less frightening than exposure to toxic gas. But data breaches cause serious harm. Imagine applying for a mortgage or for a loan to pay your daughter’s college tuition and finding out that identity thieves had amassed debts in your name. You might be able to right the situation, but how many hours on the phone would it take? What kind of legal fees would you have to incur?
Read the full piece at the Washington Post.
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