When Durham North Carolina resident Lauranell
H. Burch (aka Nell Burch)
vindictively published the Social Security number and
other private identity information of
Glenn Hagele on her website,
Hagele met with members of the North Carolina legislature
seeking to strengthen and clarify laws of Burch's home
state.
On August 31, 2007, North Carolina governor Michael
F. Easley signed House Bill 454 into law. The new law
includes language that makes it illegal for any person
to broadcast or publish personal information, including
Social Security number or driver's license number, on
the Internet. Previous language only applied to businesses.
As of December 1, 2007, any person or business convicted
of publishing someone's personal identity information
is breaking the law and subject to civil fines.
The law is commonly known as the "Burch
Clause".
