Posted on 03/14/2006 11:21:50 AM PST by Dan Middleton
Blackwell to settle suit, remove data from Web
Social Security numbers will be taken off Internet
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
James Nash
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell has bowed to legal and political pressure to remove thousands of Social Security numbers from business records posted on his official Web site.
Blackwell agreed yesterday to settle a lawsuit by buying software to remove Social Security numbers from 1.2 million documents posted on the secretary of state’s Web site. Newly posted Uniform Commercial Code forms, which contain information about business debts, will omit Social Security information, Blackwell’s office said.
Blackwell, a Republican candidate for governor, offered to delete the Social Security numbers to resolve a class-action lawsuit filed last week by a trucker whose information appeared on the public Web site, said Frederick Erny, the attorney representing Blackwell.
Although many Democrats and supporters of Blackwell’s Republican rival, Attorney General Jim Petro, have accused Blackwell of irresponsibly disclosing personal information, Erny said political considerations weren’t important in settling the case.
"We strongly indicated that the secretary of state was not unsympathetic to the plight (of people whose data were disclosed), and he was working with the General Assembly to come up with an amicable resolution," Erny said. "The parties recognize that because of the technical issues, it’s going to take some time."
Blackwell spokesman James Lee couldn’t say how long it might take to scour 1.2 million records and remove Social Security numbers. Blackwell’s office is looking at several different software applications to do the job, Lee said.
The Senate Democratic Caucus, which has criticized Blackwell for posting the Social Security data, had no reaction late yesterday to the decision to remove the numbers. A caucus spokesman said Blackwell’s office had not notified Senate Minority Leader C.J. Prentiss of the move.
Christian Jenkins, the attorney representing the trucker who sued to remove his Social Security number from the site, applauded Blackwell’s decision not to fight the lawsuit. The decision respects privacy rights and will help prevent identity theft, Jenkins said.
"I think the cost is going to be relatively minor compared to the harm that could have been done," he said. "It’s something that should have been done long ago."
jnash@dispatch.com
when I read the SS numbers were up on the web site I assumed they were immediately aken down - I can't beleve they are still up there. They should be liable for any identitiy theft that takes place.
Unbelievable. That's government bureaucracy for you. It's not as if securing social security numbers is something new.
Sadly, we're not exactly spoiled for great choices here.
"Hello, Mr. Blackwell?
I'd like to tell you about a touchy subject called 'identity theft'...
Many citizens are surprised you've never heard of this."
Who would be held responsible? (taxpayers) and how would damages be paid?(taxes)
The documents are publicly available because of Ohio public records laws. They are on "Blackwell's site" because he's the secretary of state and these business operations fall under his responsibilities.
Some government employees definitely screwed up in publishing documents with SSNs in them. One of the people who's SSN got published sued to get it removed.
Blackwell, isn't fighting the suit, he's working to fix the problem. He's working to remove the SSNs so the documents can still be available in accordance with the law.
Believe little to nothing printed in the Columbus Dispatch without looking at it critically for spin first.
I believe Mr. Blackwell did the right thing to settle the lawsuit quickly. The sad part this whole thing is various state and federal laws including the state of Ohio have people disclose nearly all of their personal information publicly in order to conduct business with any level of government in a form of a contract in order to prevent corruption and to keep all parties involved honest... thus accountable to the people.
In turn Blackwell was doing his job to the fullest extent of the law despite areas of the law being harmful to the public...I guess when laws are written at all levels of government common sense should used ...for ex. excluding social security numbers from computer documents that can be view online is a start.
We the public also have the responsibility just as the trucker did in the article to point certain mistakes such as that...but going to court?...mmm I wonder if the guy is voting for in the up-coming governor's race... Ohio Congressman Strickland or Ohio Sec. of State Blackwell or if he was truly doing the right thing in protecting certain sensitive information from dishonest individuals who don't have a life so they have steal the identity of others?
I felt lead to ask about the motive of the trucker who was involved in the lawsuit only to point out...some of laws dealing with public documentation online have been put place as far back as 10 to 15 years ago before identity theft was wide spread....I guess it takes so long after a law is made to point out the mistakes in the law.
After you point of the mistakes of the law...I believe one should show reasonability then find a hand on approach in solving the direct problem with the law which Ohio Sec. of State Blackwell appears to be doing unlike various Ohio state lawmakers who are just standing around and complaining.
-lbjgal
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.