OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington is moving to safeguard the personal data of more than a million SNAP recipients.
AG Nick Brown says the state has secured new assurances from its benefits vendor that confidential information will not be released.
AG Brown sued Fidelity Information Services last summer after it indicated it might share SNAP recipients’ data with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
“When someone in Washington signs up for help putting food on the table, their confidential information is protected by law,” AG Brown said. “No matter how many threats to privacy we face in these uncertain times, my office will act to safeguard Washingtonians’ personal information.”
State officials ordered the company not to release the information, and an investigation later found it complied. DSHS and Fidelity have now reaffirmed they have not shared, and will not share, any confidential data.
This legal action is one of several AG Brown has taken to protect SNAP recipients’ privacy and benefits, including a multistate court order blocking federal demands for sensitive information.
