BILL NUMBER: S7974
SPONSOR: GONZALEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to recovery of
online accounts for mobile telephones
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would require wireless telephone companies with retail outlets
in the state, such as Apple, to allow consumers to prove their identity
in person if they cannot access their online account.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Amends the general business law to add a new section, 394-i, to allow
consumers to prove their identity at in-state brick and mortar locations
of wireless telephone companies, such as Apple, by providing a govern-
ment-issued identification card.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
If you lose access to your handheld wireless device, such as a cell
phone, a laptop, or a tablet, and someone is able to get the password to
that device, they may be able to change your master password and take
over your identity. In such cases, there may be no way for you to regain
access to your account without having access to the lost device.
This bill will allow owners of compromised handheld wireless devices to
use a photo ID to prove their identity in person at the retail stores of
wireless telephone companies in the state, such as Apple, so that they
can recover a compromised online account.
Being able to prove one's identity in-person when a company has a brick
and mortar location will be particularly useful in situations where a
device is physically or virtually stolen and all your passwords are
compromised, such as in cases of identity theft, robbery, or domestic
violence.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A7048-A of 2024: Referred to Consumer Affairs and Protection
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately