AB 2383 (Ruskin)
prohibits any retailer from soliciting, requiring or using an
individual’s social security number for any purpose unless that
number is necessary for that business’s normal course of
business and there is a specific use for that number for which
no other number may be used. The bill also requires the use of a
point-of-sale (POS) device that encrypts the number before
transmission.
This bill is so broadly written that it prohibits use of social
security numbers in any transaction made over phones. For
instance, calling in to check on a consumer account that uses
the last four numbers of a social security number, as
verification of the account holder over the telephone will be
prohibited because phone lines do not encrypt the information.
Small independent retailers will be disadvantaged. Most have
service contracts with vendors for POS devices and software that
allow them to accept credit and debit cards but not necessarily
the ability to upgrade to a different system to accommodate the
terms of this bill. Indeed it may require an entirely different
system. Furthermore, consumers may be adversely affected by the
lack of instant credit currently available in many retail stores
and kiosks because those stores do not possess encrypted POS
devices.