Legislation Would Make Retailers Liable for Damages From Hacking

The recent hacking of customer data from Target computers is roiling the California legislature. Last week, two members of the Assembly touted a bill to strengthen consumer safeguards and limit the type of information collected and retained by retailers. The measure may trigger one of the year's biggest disputes over business-related legislation. "It'll be a big fight, a tough fight," said Bill Dombrowski, president of the California Retailers Association. The bill would shift the responsibility for any data breach from the banks and credit card issuers to the retail businesses where the breach occurred.