Congress and the Equifax data breach

Dialog from a congressional hearing February 26, 2019.

Representative Katie Porter: My question for you is whether you would be willing to share today your social security, your birth date, and your address at this public hearing.

Equifax CEO Mark Begor: I would be a bit uncomfortable doing that, Congresswoman. If you'd so oblige me, I'd prefer not to.

KP: Could I ask you why you're unwilling?

MB: Well that's sensitive information. I think it's sensitive information that I like to protect, and I think consumers should protect theirs.

KP: My question is then, if you agree that exposing this kind of information, information like that you have in your credit reports, creates harm, therefore you're unwilling to share it, why are your lawyers arguing in federal court that there was no injury and no harm created by your data breach?

• East coast law and west coast law
• Data privacy