Del. Cliff Hayes, a Chesapeake Democrat, has raised concerns about Socure, an identity verification company based in Nevada, allegedly violating Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act. Hayes accused Socure of not abiding by the law’s rules, specifically in regards to consumers’ ability to access and opt-out of data collection. He sent a letter to Socure’s CEO, Johnny Ayers, outlining his concerns about the company’s practices, which include requiring consumers to agree to certain terms before accessing their data. Hayes believes these practices are unfair and inaccessible, especially to those who are not technologically proficient.
Socure denies the allegations and states that they comply with all privacy laws, including Virginia’s data protection act. They claim to respond to all requests in a timely and compliant manner, with appropriate identity-proofing measures in place to prevent fraud. However, Hayes remains dissatisfied with Socure’s response and has requested the state Attorney General’s office to look into the matter.
The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, which took effect last year, allows state residents to request and review the data collected about them by companies, as well as opt-out of data collection and sales. Virginia was only the second state to adopt a data privacy law, but experts and advocacy groups have criticized the law for not being user-friendly or going far enough in protecting consumers’ data. Hayes hopes for a response from the Attorney General and for stricter enforcement of data privacy laws in the state.
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