Rep. Loudermilk (R-GA) has written a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) expressing serious concerns about the bureau’s mass collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information on American citizens. He issued the following statement:
“In the wake of many serious data breaches, including the OPM and the FDIC, we have learned the greatest risk of compromising Americans' personal information is the federal agencies. I am seriously concerned to learn that the CFPB has been collecting massive amounts of data on more than ten million consumers on a regular basis. At a time when many agencies are targets of foreign and domestic hackers, it is very troubling to learn that the CFPB has started yet another data collection program, which can include people’s social media posts, utility payments, and other private information. The very agency that claims to protect consumers is actually putting millions at risk by collecting sensitive data that would result in significant harm to consumers if compromised.
“This is something that must be addressed immediately, which is why I took action. I sent a letter, along with many of my colleagues, urging the CFPB to stop collecting sensitive consumer data until all relevant cybersecurity improvements have been implemented.”
