NJ State Lawmakers Introduce Copy Machine Law

Two New Jersey state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require all hard drives on copy machines be wiped clean to protect the sensitive data retained on them.

Senator Bob Smith (D-Middlesex) and Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Mercer/Middlesex) are introducing the bill in the State Assembly today and Senate on Monday.

The bill was written after both legislators watched Armen Keteyian's investigation on April 19th into the security of data retained by hard drives on modern digital copy machines.

"In addition to the serious threat of identity theft, consumers are also vulnerable to serious social repercussions posed by sensitive medical records or police documents," Greenstein said in a press release announcing the bill. "There's a simple way to eliminate these risks and we need to make sure it's instituted."

The draft includes penalties for violations of the bill that start at $10,000 for the first offense and up to $20,000 for each additional offense.

The state lawmakers are also introducing a resolution, "urging Congress to enact similar legislation at the federal level that would require the hard drives of all digital copy machines sold or leased in the United States to be wiped clean."