Massachusetts Breach Notifications Will Now Be Publicly Available Online

On Jan. 3, 2017, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation announced that it will begin making its data breach notification archive publicly available online. Previously, data breach notifications filed with the Massachusetts attorney general were only available through public records requests. The change was made pursuant to the June 2016 amendment to the Public Records Law, which, among other things, authorized individual agencies to post public record information of significant interest that agencies deem appropriate.

"The Data Breach Notification Archive is a public record that the public and media have every right to view," said Consumer Affairs Undersecretary John Chapman. "Making it easily accessible by putting it online is not only in keeping with the guidelines suggested in the new Public Records Law, but also with Governor Baker's commitment to greater transparency throughout the Executive Office."