Information Privacy and the Equifax hack

Information Privacy is a big topic in recent years, with the rise of the internet as a primary means of communication and information storage. Corporations and companies collect your data constantly, sometimes even without your consent. In the case of the recent Equifax hack, the credit rating company Equifax had been collecting tons of information on anyone who had ever made a purchase with a credit card. Information including but not limited to, your social security number, your entire credit card details, and everything an identity thief would need to impersonate you online and charge things to your credit card. Due to lax security protocols and encryption Equifax was hacked, and all this information that had been gathered without consent or permission is now out there somewhere. Its likely being sold to some identity thief right now. This company had all of that information without you even signing terms and conditions, or even using their credit monitoring service. This s a major breach of personal and financial privacy and should not be taken lightly, companies such as Equifax should not be allowed to collect this information without the person signing a legal document allowing them to do so.