Westlaw Changes Business Practices

The New York Times is reporting that Westlaw has agreed to limit its sale of personal information, including Social Security Numbers. Their change in policy comes, of course, in the wake of numerous highly publicized privacy breaches, hearings on Capitol Hill, and pressure from lawmakers like Sen. Charles Schumer of New York. Pressure will no doubt follow for LexisNexis and ChoicePoint to do the same thing.

Chuck Schumer held a press conference the other day where he showed how his staff was able to easily get personal information from Westlaw, including SSNs, (thankfully blanked out) on famous people like Paris Hilton and Vice President Dick Cheney. Obviously Westlaw did not like the attention.

Quote of the Day:

"The events of the past months illustrate the importance of tougher controls, and we're pleased to be a part of a broader and ongoing effort that supports both individual privacy and homeland security concerns."

–– Peter Warwick, president and chief executive of Thomson West.