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Disney exposed social security numbers of 20,000 employees, lawsuit alleges

25 May 2011

Employees of two California hotels run by Walt Disney have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of 20,000 workers, charging that the company compromised workers’ personal information and privacy by embedding social security numbers in their ID cards.

Kristi Richards and Jorge Iniestra filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of 20,000 current and former Disney employees, according to a report by Westlaw Journal Employment.

Mobile phone barcode scanners can read and interpret the unsecured data on the ID cards, putting workers personal information and privacy at risk, the state lawsuit alleges.

Tthe plaintiffs also charge that Disney stores former employees’ cards in an unsecured location, making them susceptible to theft or misuse.

Disney has known about the risk for three years, when a security guard discovered that any barcode scanner could read the ID cards, the lawsuit alleges.

Including social security numbers in ID cards violates California law and violates the individuals' right to privacy guaranteed by the state constitution, the complaint states.

The plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief to stop Disney from including social security numbers and other personal information on ID cards and damages, including credit monitoring and fraud insurance, for affected employees.

The plaintiffs have filed a similar lawsuit in federal court, according to the report.

This article is featured in:
Compliance and Policy  • Data Loss  • Identity and Access Management

 

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