Senate report: Consumer agency disclosed data of estimated 30,000

Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A Senate Commerce Committee report issued Thursday found that the Consumer Product Safety Commission improperly disclosed data of an estimated 30,000 consumers.

The report said that the CPSC "made improper disclosures," between December 2017 and March 2019, to 29 entities, containing data on 10,900 manufacturers and 30,000 consumers approximately.

Consumer data included "street addresses, ages and genders," which should have been redacted under Section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act, the report said.

CPSC employees disclosures were not "deliberate," but instead "due to a lack of training, ineffective management, and poor information technology," the committee concluded.

"These employees are provided three different software applications to access and process relevant data without the necessary training on how to use these often confusing and idiosyncratic systems," the report stated.

The findings were based on an investigation that started in April after a senior CPSC official raised concern about the disclosures to committee staff.

The committee recommended formal training for new hires, review of training program and information technology, and "clear and consistent review processes" for "sensitive disclosures."