The US Senate has voted to protect the personally identifiable information (PII) of transferees and military personnel who ship their personal household goods to the US.
The US Customs and Border Protection must currently make data on vessel shipments available, where it can be sold by brokers, who post the information to subscribers online. Making the PII information – including social security and passport numbers, home address and other personal data – available in this way makes them targets for identity fraud, theft and other unwanted approaches.
The vote passed a provision to protect the PII, which was included in the US Innovation and Competition Act (S. 1260) before being passed to the House of Representatives for consideration. The provision would ensure that the PII of transferees and military personnel is removed from vessel, aircraft and vehicle manifests before being made public.
Worldwide ERC, the International Association of Movers, and the American Moving & Storage Association (now part of the American Trucking Association) have campaigned jointly for the change over the past four years.
Photo by Michael on Unsplash
