Public.com · Public.com Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Collection of Sensitive Financial and Identity Data

Medium severity High confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Rare · 3 of 325 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

Public collects highly sensitive personal information when you sign up and use its platform, including your Social Security number, government ID, and financial account details.

This analysis describes what Public.com's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This is some of the most sensitive personal and financial data that exists, and its collection creates significant obligations for Public and meaningful risks for users if it is mishandled or exposed.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

When you open a Public account, the platform collects your SSN, government-issued ID, and full financial account details. If this data is involved in a breach or shared inappropriately, the consequences for your financial and personal identity can be severe.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Delete Your Data
    Email support@public.com to request deletion of your personal data including sensitive identity information. Specify which data categories you want deleted and request confirmation of the deletion.

How other platforms handle this

PlanetScale Medium

When you visit the Careers portion of our websites, we collect the information that you provide to us in connection with your job application. This includes but is not limited to business and personal contact information, professional credentials and skills, educational and work history and other in...

American Airlines Medium

American does not knowingly collect personal information directly from children – persons under the age of 13, or another age if required by applicable law – other than when required to comply with the law or for safety and security reasons. Due to the nature of our Services, we may collect travel i...

GOAT Medium

We may collect information about your location, including precise geolocation information, when you use our Services. We use this information to provide location-based services, such as showing you products available in your area, and for other purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
We collect information you provide directly to us, such as when you create an account, make a transaction, or contact us for support. This information may include your name, email address, postal address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, government-issued identification, financial account information, and other information you choose to provide.

— Excerpt from Public.com's Public.com Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Collection of Social Security numbers, government IDs, and financial account information by a registered broker-dealer implicates SEC Regulation S-P, the GLBA Safeguards Rule (as updated by the FTC's 2023 amendments for non-bank financial institutions), and state data breach notification laws. The FTC and SEC are primary enforcement authorities. CCPA/CPRA classifies SSNs and government IDs as 'sensitive personal information' subject to heightened disclosure and opt-out obligations under California law. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. The collection of government IDs and SSNs creates obligations under both federal financial privacy law and state breach notification statutes in all 50 states. A data incident involving this category of data would trigger mandatory notification obligations across multiple jurisdictions and potential regulatory scrutiny from the SEC and FTC. JURISDICTION FLAGS: California residents have CCPA/CPRA rights specific to sensitive personal information including SSNs and government IDs. New York's SHIELD Act imposes data security obligations for any business handling NY residents' private information including SSNs. Illinois, Texas, and other states have independent breach notification timelines that may be shorter than federal guidance. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Any vendor receiving or processing SSNs or government ID data on behalf of Public must be assessed against the updated GLBA Safeguards Rule's vendor oversight requirements, including written contracts specifying appropriate safeguards. Procurement teams should confirm that data processing agreements with identity verification and KYC vendors meet these standards. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should verify that the data minimization and retention schedules for SSNs and government IDs are documented and consistent with both FINRA recordkeeping rules and applicable deletion obligations under CCPA. A periodic review of access controls for this data category is recommended given its heightened regulatory classification.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC enforces the GLBA Safeguards Rule for non-bank financial institutions and has authority over unfair or deceptive practices related to collection and handling of sensitive personal data
    File a complaint →
  • SEC
    The SEC enforces Regulation S-P, which governs how registered broker-dealers handle customer financial information including SSNs and account data
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FCRA
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GLBA
United States Federal
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Public.com Privacy Policy
Entity
Public.com
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 10, 2026
Last verified
May 10, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-005307
Document ID
CA-D-00059
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
a07b52ddfafc2a838aea9b789299061ff0a84d7fee90d9b754e1fbb76cf982de
Analysis generated
May 10, 2026 05:02 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Public.com
Document: Public.com Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-005307
Captured: 2026-05-10 05:02:53 UTC
SHA-256: a07b52ddfafc2a83…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/publiccom/publiccom-privacy-policy/collection-of-sensitive-financial-and-identity-data/
Accessed: May 13, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Public.com's Collection of Sensitive Financial and Identity Data clause do?

This is some of the most sensitive personal and financial data that exists, and its collection creates significant obligations for Public and meaningful risks for users if it is mishandled or exposed.

How does this clause affect you?

When you open a Public account, the platform collects your SSN, government-issued ID, and full financial account details. If this data is involved in a breach or shared inappropriately, the consequences for your financial and personal identity can be severe.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 3 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Public.com?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Public.com.