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U.S. GOVERNMENT 1: Senate Will Hold Meeting on ID Theft

Members of the Senate decided to hold a committee meeting about identity theft this week after important personal information was stolen from millions of people. Thieves used stolen identities to get the names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and credit reports from ChoicePoint Incorporated. The company said that 144,778 people may have had their identities stolen by these criminals.

The committee will look into whether more rules are needed for companies that buy and sell personal information, like ChoicePoint. The company has over 19 billion records of personal information like car registrations, military records, names, addresses, and Social Security numbers.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California said that the ChoicePoint theft proves that there needs to be more rules from the government for businesses that sell information. “Americans need to have more control over their personal data,” Feinstein said. She plans to introduce a bill that will make companies tell people if they sell their personal information or if their information is stolen.

The agency that is responsible for the rules of customer privacy, the Federal Trade Commission, estimates that each year 10 million people have their identities stolen. Legislation was passed in 2003 that allows people to get free copies of their credit reports every 12 months to more quickly track identity theft.

--Written by Jasmine Washington

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