Technology has dramatically increased the amount of consumer data collected and used by businesses. Several recent high profile data breaches, coupled with increasing rates of identity theft, has made data security and consumer privacy a hot issue for policymakers in Washington.

REALTORS® strongly support efforts to protect consumers' sensitive personal information. The REALTOR® code of Ethics and Standards of Practice explicitly acknowledge a REALTOR's® obligation to preserve the confidentiality of personal information provided by clients in the course of any agency or non-agency relationship—both during and after the termination of these business relationships. REALTORS® support for data protection measures is also bolstered by their day-to-day business activities where they see first-hand the damage that identity theft can do to a family's ability to rent an apartment or buy a home. This webpage will provide REALTORS® with current information on policy efforts underway in Washington to regulate data security and consumer privacy.