On November 12, 1999, President Clinton signed into law the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). The GLBA made several fundamental changes to the laws governing the financial system, including easing the limits on the types of financial institutions that may be affiliated with one another. It also made it much easier for financial institutions to violate the privacy of American citizens -- without their consent, or even without their knowledge. Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, a company is an affiliate of a financial institution if it controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the financial institution. The Act established few...