1. Type your name*

2. Type your job title

3. Type your organization name

4. Type your email or phone*

*mandatory

5. Please feel free to make changes to the letter below.

6. Click "eMAIL!" and we will send your letter!

The Honorable Ira Ruskin California State Senate State Capitol, Room 3123 Sacramento, CA 95814 Fax: 916-319-2121 SUBJECT: AB 2383 (RUSKIN) SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS - OPPOSE Dear Assembly Member Ruskin: I OPPOSE your AB 2383 (Ruskin), as amended March 25, 2008, which 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. I OPPOSE your AB 2383 (Ruskin) because it 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.