Gina Helfrich, PhDJul 24, 2023
Zack Whittaker
At some point, America is going to run out of the free credit monitoring offered after a data breach, and we're going to need something a little more concrete, like actual data protection laws.
Jul 24, 2023 at 12:42pmWeb
Show threadZack WhittakerJul 24, 2023

If you were wondering what drew my ire this morning, it's Louisiana.

https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-credit-data-breach-free-c380162967e08764f425dd3c643f5eaf

Free credit monitoring offered for Louisianans affected by data breach

Louisianans whose personal information was exposed in a massive data breach that affected the state’s Office of Motor Vehicles last month, will receive one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection. The resources are being offered in response to a Russian cyber-extortion gang’s global hack of a file-transfer program. Among agencies that had their data breached were Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles, Oregon’s Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Energy and British Airways. State officials warned that anyone with a Louisiana driver’s license, ID or car registration had their personal information exposed, including names, birthdates, addresses and social security numbers.

AP News
Show threadgh0sti Jul 24, 2023
@zackwhittaker nonsense they can just give free monitoring until you are dead. They print that like the USD! /s
Show threadWendy NatherJul 24, 2023
@zackwhittaker Oh, we won’t run out — I myself have plenty of free credit monitoring set up from multiple agencies, including a permanent service set up 15 years ago by a friend who worked there.
Show threadZack WhittakerJul 24, 2023
@wendynather question: if you use all the free credit monitoring at the same time, do you get a special data protection XP boost?
Show threadWendy NatherJul 24, 2023
@zackwhittaker Yes! And you can double up on miles too!
Show threadMrs Mouse at workJul 24, 2023
@zackwhittaker
We've done so well with the gun problem that I can't really see this getting fixed.
Show threadJonathan Kamens 86 47Jul 24, 2023
@zackwhittaker We'll never run out, because it's crap, and there's an endless supply of that.
Show threadGreenDotGuyJul 24, 2023

@zackwhittaker I really wish we had something similar to how Google or even Facebook shows third-party app access, but for our medical info, financial stuff, and some assets.

Like, let me see the relationships, permit or deny attribute release between things, use 2FA, and... opt-out if I'm not into it.

Show threadBerkubernetusJul 24, 2023
@zackwhittaker Personally, I am now entitled to free credit monitoring through 2045.
Show threadCassandrichJul 25, 2023

@zackwhittaker It's still baffling to me how a service to predators who want to offer "me" credit and that further invades my privacy is supposed to be compensation for having my privacy violated.

Having them unable to assess whether any particular debt was incurred by me or someone using data they stole and thus unable to collect anything seems like a far better outcome.