NCL calls on Congress to move forward on data security agenda in wake of OPM data breach – National Consumers League

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June 12, 2015

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – In response to reports that a data breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may have affected as many as 14 million current and former federal government workers and federal retirees, the National Consumers League (NCL) is urging Congress to move forward on legislation that increases data security requirements for federal agencies and the private sector alike. NCL has also released tips for those affected to remain vigilant against possible spear-phishing attacks and take steps to protect their identities.

“The OPM hack is yet another symptom of the failure of Congress to move forward on comprehensive data security legislation,” said John Breyault, NCL vice president of public policy, telecommunications and Fraud. “While Congressional legislation will not result in perfect data security protection, it can create an important baseline of consumer protection from malicious data breaches. In the face of large-scale breaches at organizations like OPM and smaller breaches as thousands of small businesses, Congress needs to act sooner, rather than later.”

While consumers wait for more robust data protections to come out of Washington, affected current, former, and retired federal workers should take steps to reduce their risk of identity theft. Such steps can include:

  • Check credit reports. Affected workers should visit annualcreditreport.com to check their credit reports from the major credit reporting bureaus. Look for suspicious activity like recently-opened accounts you don’t recognize and dispute them as suspected fraud with the credit reporting bureau.

  • Beware of spear-phishing emails and phone calls. OPM has announced that it will be sending most breach notifications by email from the opmcio@csid.com email address. That email will include the worker’s name and a PIN to enroll in credit monitoring and identity theft protection from identity and fraud protection firm CSID. Phone calls where the caller identifies herself as a representative of OPM are likely a scam. Consumers can also enroll directly in the CSID program online here.

  • Place fraud alerts on credit reports. Consumers should request a free 90-day fraud alert with each of the major credit reporting bureaus. A fraud alert requires businesses to verify an applicant’s identity before credit is provided to an applicant.

  • Take advantage of credit monitoring and identity theft protection. OPM is offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection and mitigation services to affected employees via CSID. While these services won’t prevent all instances of identity theft, they can be helpful in reducing risk. More information is available here.

  • Mark calendars to file taxes early in 2016. The information reportedly compromised in the OPM breach can be used by cyberthieves to file fraudulent tax returns. Filing early in the tax season (instead of closer to the filing deadline) can help prevent this type of identity theft.

  • Contact banks and credit card companies. Affected workers’ banks may recommend reissuing credit and debit cards and changing checking and savings account numbers. Get in touch with these financial institutions to find out if such actions are necessary. Also, closely monitor monthly statements and dispute any suspicious charges.

  • Update passwords. Changing passwords on online accounts (mail, social media, financial services), particularly if the account is associated with an official .gov email address, can help reduce the risk of account takeover fraud. Tips on creating stronger passwords are available from ConnectSafely.org.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on House vote on country-of-origin-labeling of meat – National Consumers League

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June 11, 2015

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, is disappointed in the U.S. House of Representatives vote Wednesday to repeal the law that requires country-of-origin labels (COOL) on packages of beef, pork, and poultry. COOL went into effect for meat in 2013.

The following statement may be attributed to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“Consumers have the right to know where their food comes from, and they clearly want country-of-origin labeling. Having that label tells consumers about safety and purity of their food. Surveys show that 90 percent of Americans want this labeling on the meat products they buy for their families–showing that the House vote is drastically out of sync with the wishes of their constituents. Trade agreements must not be used to prevent U.S. consumers from getting the information they clearly desire. The American meat industry’s undue influence in this vote goes directly against these interests. This is a step backwards, and NCL is calling on the Senate to protect COOL, a hard-won protection that is valued by American consumers.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement in support of SF move on sugary beverages – National Consumers League

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June 11, 2015

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, is applauding the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for unanimously supporting three ordinances to regulate the purchase, sales, distribution, and advertising of sugary drinks in San Francisco.

“With this legislation, San Francisco has taken an important step on behalf of its residents, and we hope that these bills will be able to jump the final hurdles and become law,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg, who testified, in 2012, before the New York City Board of Health when it was considering Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to limit the sale of sugary beverages over 16 ounces. “We applaud San Francisco officials for taking a leadership role in combating obesity, and we hope that other cities will follow suit.”

The pieces of legislation would require a health warning label on sugary drink advertising in the city, prohibit city dollars from being spent on sugary drinks for events put on by the city, and prevent advertising of sugar-sweetened drinks on city-owned property and at city facilities.

Supervisors Malia Cohen, Eric Mar, and Scott Weiner proposed the bills, which will be put up to another Board of Supervisors vote on Tuesday, June 16. At that point, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee will have 10 days to sign, veto, or pass the legislation. 

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

New Brandeis intern excited to join NCL team – National Consumers League

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By Rebecca Groner, Brandeis Intern

Rebecca Groner just completed her sophomore year at Brandeis University. She is studying Health: Science, Society & Policy, and will receive minors in Social Justice & Social Policy and Business. Groner has studied a variety of topics to support hands-on approaches to policy change, and her main interests lie in public health and health policy.

When I’m not learning about the American health care system or studying Spanish to prepare for my semester abroad in Chile, I am performing with my improv comedy troupe at Brandeis. I also spend time volunteering with service projects in the Boston area. Every week, I volunteer at a soup kitchen near Brandeis and provide peer counseling for Brandeis students. I am looking forward to honing the skills I have learned from the stage, classroom, and counseling office and applying them to advocate for American consumers.

I learned about the National Consumers League while exploring social justice advocacy organizations with internship opportunities. My interest piqued as I read about the NCL programs implemented to tackle issues of food safety and healthy food access in Washington, DC and beyond. As a Health undergrad, I am interested in working on healthy food initiatives and raising patient awareness about insurance and medications. I am excited to learn more about and work on each of the issues NCL works on to protect consumers. Last summer, I volunteered in 10 different cities across America, from Los Angeles to Louisville, and learned about a variety of consumer and worker’s issues. I plan to utilize the knowledge and experience I have gained from these service opportunities during my internship at NCL. In high school, I became passionate about fighting for worker’s rights and volunteered with a local organization in Chicago to advocate for living wages for hotel employees. I hope to revive my passion for workplace advocacy and join NCL’s fight for worker’s rights.

NCL has done great work to improve the food environment in American communities. NCL’s survey on corner stores in the D.C. area was interesting for me to read because I have surveyed corner stores in Baltimore, MD, Watertown, MA and Westchester, NY. I became passionate about healthy food availability while taking a summer course on public health and nutrition at Johns Hopkins University. During the course, the professor took the class to a food desert in Baltimore to make food maps, in which we surveyed the area’s food options. We also took note of the types of food offered at the dozens of corner stores, searching for food with nutritional value. It was difficult to find fresh produce in the corner stores, and I found the same issues while surveying the food options in downtown Watertown. To combat the lack of fresh food availability in this neighborhood and in other parts of Boston, I worked with a diverse team of students at the Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management, to form the business model for an affordable home-delivery meal kit service designed to promote balanced, easy-to-make meals. This service shares a similar mission to NCL: empowering American consumers and guiding families toward making healthy and smart choices. NCL’s survey report demonstrates that healthy food programs and policies are essential for improving the health of residents in low-income communities and promoting social and economic justice.

I was inspired by the plans of action outlined in “Wasted: Solutions to the American Food Waste Problem” while working on a paper about food waste and food recycling efforts. In addition to this report, the information NCL provides about food safety was helpful to my research on what is being done and can be done to prevent food waste. I support NCL’s work to engage and motivate consumers to reduce their food waste and shift their attitude toward the value of food. I firmly believe that the U.S. should work on NCL’s goal: reduce food waste by 20-25 percent in the next ten years.

I am incredibly excited to join the NCL team and to be a part of the Brandeis World of Work Social Justice Fellowship this summer. This unique opportunity bridges my academic pursuits with my passion for pursuing social justice and provides me with the experience of working at an influential non-profit organization. I’m looking forward to attending events with the NCL team to learn more about the process of policy-making and creating awareness about consumer issues. NCL realizes my vision for a better, healthier, and safer America and takes action. I am thankful to be a part of the processes that the NCL takes to make change and improve the lives of consumers.

NCL statement on FDA adcom vote on ‘female viagra’ – National Consumers League

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June 4, 2015

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL, 412-945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, which has championed women’s health and gender equity, is applauding today’s 18-6 vote of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee to recommend to the agency’s approval of the drug flibanserin for low libido in women, or female sexual dysfunction (FSD). The most common FSD condition is loss of sex drive, or HSDD.

The FDA generally accepts the recommendations of its advisory committee, but that formal decision will come in August.

The following statement may be attributed to Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director:

“At present there are no FDA-approved drugs to treat FSD, whereas there are 26 drugs to treat male sexual dysfunction. We welcome the positive recommendation of the FDA advisory committee. We urge the FDA to approve this treatment quickly, begin the process to address the long-overdue void that exists, and allow women who suffer from HSDD to finally get access to this important medication.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Child Soldier Draws Meaningful Similarities Between His Experiences and Education in America – National Consumers League

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sidibay_edit.jpgMohamed Sidibay was born into the war-ridden country of Sierra Leone, which was engulfed in a brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002. Although he has been through difficult experiences in his past, he does not view himself that different from anyone else. He graciously shared his story during a recent meeting of the Child Labor Coalition, which NCL co-chairs and coordinates. 

In 1995, rebels from the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) killed his parents and his two older siblings in his home when he was 3 years old, during the midst of the civil war. He was then abducted as a child soldier into the rebel army that was responsible for killing his family and robbing him of his childhood. For the next seven years, he was equipped with a gun and forced to kill on behalf of the RUF. Before the meeting of child labor advocates, Sidibay recalled being mentally and physically stuck while longing to escape. He wanted to run away and go home, although he didn’t know where “home” was.  But, if he ran away, he knew there was a possibility that his captors would find him and kill him—captors who, on the other hand, could decide to kill him at any moment even if he stayed.

By the time the war ended in 2002, Sidibay was free but had not known any other life than that of following commands from murderers under the fear of being killed. Adjusting to civilian life was not easy for Sidibay, who was shunned and rejected by those in his community for what he had been forced to do. Although readjustment posed new kinds of challenges, Sidibay was determined to create a new life for himself. He didn’t want to erase his past, but to overcome it. “Our past and present make us who were are, without our past, we are incomplete. And without our present, we don’t exist,” said Sidibay.

The Family Homes Movement rescued Sidibay when he was 9 years old. From then on, he was just shifted around from one organization to another. At the age of 13, Sidibay managed to come to America. All he had in his pocket was $40 and an iPod. As a student in America, Sidibay would look around the classroom and see only African American students, with a few exceptions. He was advised to try to get into more difficult classes. In his higher-level classes, Sidibay looked around and saw a classroom full of white students. This is when he realized the segregation of America’s school system. Having been deprived of an education for most of his early years, Sidibay understood the importance of education. This is why he now advocates for eliminating the disparity in education in America.

 “It is my belief that if you give a man the world, that would can fall apart. But, if you give a man education, then he can rebuild that world,” said Sidibay. He hopes to use his education to give a voice to the voiceless – those fellow former and current child soldiers who cannot speak for themselves. Today, Sidibay is studying at George Washington University and is involved with the GW STAND chapter, an organization that works to “empower individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide.” 

Honey bees our canaries in the coal mine? – National Consumers League

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For the past five or more years I’ve read with sadness and trepidation about the reduction in pollinating bee populations. This startling news seemed like the ultimate canary in the coal mine warning. Bees are dying out because of something awful we are doing to our environment, but what is it that we are doing?

Recently, I was reading a newsletter by Trillium Asset Management, a socially responsible investment company whose board I once served on. Through this newsletter, I learned about the hardware and home improvement store, Lowe’s, phasing out neonicotinoids  (or otherwise known as “neonics”) to help preserve the bee population. Ever heard of them? I hadn’t either. But apparently, neonics are a pesticide that has sped up the decline of bees. Neonics are used in pesticides and affect the central nervous system of insects, which results in paralysis or death. Past studies have identified the neonicotinic residues from these pesticides can accumulate in pollen and nectar of treated plants and may pose as a risk to pollinators, including bees.

Trillium says they are a leading contributor to the global decline of bees. To its enormous credit, Trillium forced Lowe’s hand by introducing a shareholder resolution and having discussions with the company starting in 2013. Trillium withdrew the resolution when Lowe’s came to the table to talk about eliminating neonics from its retail stores.

Lowes agreed to a six-point plan of action, including educating consumers through in-store distribution of EPA and Pollinator Partnership pesticide brochures and the placement of product tags, which explain the importance of bee populations to our ecosystem.

We all owe Trillium Asset Management and Domini Social Investments for their exceptional work and ability to leverage investor concerns and passions about the environment in order to help maintain the balance of our ecosystem to protect all creatures.

NCL statement on the passing of Beau Biden – National Consumers League

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June 1, 2015

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL, 412-945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League staff and Board of Directors are mourning the untimely death of former Attorney General Beau Biden. Advocates at the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization are today remembering Biden for his military career as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard and in the Judge Advocate General Corps, including active duty in Iraq during his father’s Vice Presidential campaign.

In 2012, then Delaware Attorney General Biden addressed the high school students who had traveled to Philadelphia to compete for the National LifeSmarts Championship, NCL’s flagship youth consumer literacy program. On the final day of competition, he spoke to the state champion teenagers from across the country and helped crown the team from Maryland as that year’s National LifeSmarts Champions.

Biden applauded the state champion teams for being actively engaged, interested, and educated about finance and “how to be a good consumer and how to teach your brothers and sisters and classmates and sometimes your parents.” Biden passionately conveyed stories about the citizens of Delaware seeking help from his office, those who weren’t fortunate to have a LifeSmarts background, and who struggle with common consumer challenges in the marketplace. “You have to know what your rights are, and what you’re entitled to. We deal with people all the time who don’t feel empowered to question the negative answer or nonresponse. Behind the 10,000 or so complaints my office receives are, I’m confident, many times more citizens who don’t know what their rights are. That’s why what we do here is so critical, not just for young people but for old people.”

The following statement may be attributed to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“The passing of Beau Biden is tragic, for consumer advocates and all Americans. We were honored to have him address our LifeSmarts participants in Philadelphia in 2012. Biden was a strong advocate who fought scammers and crooks seeking to take advantage of the vulnerable. He was an exemplary public servant who dedicated his career to making a difference for his country. We will remember him with fondness and admiration.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Work in tobacco harvest tops advocacy group’s annual worst teen jobs list – National Consumers League

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May 28, 2015

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL, 412-945-3242 or 724-799-5392, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – As millions of American teens begin their summer jobs this week, the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization is warning young workers and their parents to exercise caution when it comes to seasonal work. The National Consumers League (NCL) has issued its annual report on the worst jobs for teens, with work in agriculture topping the list. The organization is also reminding parents and teens that—while jobs provide many benefits—some workplaces present dangers for inexperienced teen workers even in the United States, where a teen is hurt on the job every 9 minutes. In a typical year, a child dies in the United States nearly every 14 days at work.

In the Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens 2015, NCL names the five worst jobs and provides practical advice for staying safe.

NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens in 2015 are: (full report PDF here)

  • Tobacco Harvester
  • Agriculture: Harvesting Crops and Using Machinery
  • Traveling Youth Sales Crews
  • Construction and Height Work
  • Outside Helper: Landscaping, Grounds keeping and Lawn Service

The five jobs share above average risk of injury or fatality rates and/or present a work environment that is dangerous.

“The 2012 withdrawal of proposed federal safety protections for children who work in agriculture means that children are continuing to do hazardous work in agriculture from ages 12 to 16, when they are protected by child labor laws from doing hazardous work in other industries,” said Reid Maki, NCL’s director of child labor advocacy. “For that reason, we’ve reserved two slots on our “five most dangerous jobs” for children working in agriculture: child tobacco harvesters and children who harvest fruits and vegetables or work with farm machinery.”

“A 12-year-old child cannot legally smoke cigarettes, but they can work in 100-degree heat in tobacco fields while they are subjected to nicotine poisoning and dangerous pesticides,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “It’s outrageous, and it’s something we are working hard to fix through our work on the Child Labor Coalition, which NCL founded and co-chairs.”

“The National Consumers League issues our Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens report to remind teens and their parents to choose summer jobs wisely,” said Maki. “We want teens to have a safe and productive work experience. The report provides valuable tips and suggestions to ensure that parents can help children protect themselves on the job and help teens be proactive about their own safety.”

Tips for teen workers

NCL’s Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens report aims to empower teens to ask for needed safety training and say “no” when dangerous tasks are requested. NCL wants youth workers to say “no” to jobs that involve:

  • door-to-door sales, especially out of the youth’s neighborhood;
  • long-distance traveling away from parental supervision;
  • extensive driving or being driven;
  • driving forklifts, tractors, and other potentially dangerous vehicles;
  • the use of dangerous machinery;
  • the use of chemicals;
  • working in grain storage facilities; and
  • work on ladders or work that involves heights where there is a risk of falling.

To learn more about the Five Most Dangerous Jobs, visit www.nclnet.org. To read the full report, click here (PDF).

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National Consumers League Statement on AdultFriendFinder.com Data Breach – National Consumers League

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May 22, 2015

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL, 412-945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League is warning current and former users of the adult dating website AdultFriendFinder.com to beware of blackmail attempts and phishing attacks resulting from a data breach that reportedly affected nearly 4 million accounts.

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud:

“The breach at AdultFriendFinder has reportedly compromised extremely sensitive data on nearly four million users, including sexual orientation, desire to engage in extramarital affairs and employer information. Email addresses, usernames, dates of birth, zip codes and IP addresses were also reportedly compromised. This type of information getting into the wrong hands could easily lead to blackmail attempts as well as sophisticated phishing attacks.”

“Congress should take note of the impact that a breach of this type of sensitive information is likely to have on victims. Numerous data breach notification bills pending in Congress contain a narrowly defined ‘harm trigger’ that rely on the likelihood of financial harm to prompt notification. What the AdultFriendFinder breach makes clear is that breached data can result in serious harm to affected consumers, even if the compromised information is not financial in nature. It is for this reason that NCL continues to oppose bills, such as Rep. Blackburn’s Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015 that contain harm triggers.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.