The State of California has, I'd guess almost unnoticed, passed new financial privacy laws that require banks and other financial service providers to obtain their customer's consent before passing or selling on their client's financial details.

It shows that it is still possible to get legislators to pay attention to privacy issues, but, as this interview with the new law's proposer, State Senator Jackie Speier reveals, you do have to be persistent.

Still, it's good to see hard work paying off.