Senators Seek Answers on Data Breach From T-Mobile, Experian

The Ranking Members from three Senate committees are pulling rank on T-Mobile and Experian in the wake of a data breach at Experian that may have exposed the Social Security numbers of up to 15 million T-Mobile customers. In a letter to the CEO's of both companies, Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL), Consumer Protection Subcommittee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Senate Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Brian Schatz (D-HI) said they wanted answers about what happened and what the companies are doing to address the security breach.

They used the letter as an opportunity to push for cybersecurity legislation. “We have been advocates for data security and breach notification legislation that would better protect consumers and improve corporate responsibility,” the Senators said in announcing the request from the companies. “Experian and T-Mobile’s recent incident demonstrates the need for legislation that addresses both consumer notification and sets minimum security requirements for companies that collect and store such sensitive consumer data.” They said they expected detailed information on how such a breach occurred.