Terms Used In Maryland Code, COMMERCIAL LAW 14-3402

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Person: includes an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, personal representative, fiduciary, representative of any kind, corporation, partnership, business trust, statutory trust, limited liability company, firm, association, or other nongovernmental entity. See
  • state: means :

    (1) a state, possession, territory, or commonwealth of the United States; or

    (2) the District of Columbia. See
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, a person may not:

(1) Publicly post or display an individual’s Social Security number;

(2) Print an individual’s Social Security number on a card required for the individual to access products or services provided by the person;

(3) Require an individual to transmit the individual’s Social Security number over the Internet unless the connection is secure or the individual’s Social Security number is encrypted;

(4) Initiate the transmission of an individual’s Social Security number over the Internet unless the connection is secure or the Social Security number is encrypted;

(5) Require an individual to use the individual’s Social Security number to access an Internet Web site, unless a password, unique personal identification number, or other authentication device is also required to access the Web site; or

(6) Unless required by State or federal law:

(i) Print an individual’s Social Security number on any material that is mailed to the individual;

(ii) Include an individual’s Social Security number in any material that is electronically transmitted to the individual, unless the connection is secure or the individual’s Social Security number is encrypted; or

(iii) Include an individual’s Social Security number in any material that is transmitted by facsimile to the individual.

(b) This section does not apply to:

(1) The collection, release, or use of an individual’s Social Security number as required by State or federal law;

(2) The inclusion of an individual’s Social Security number in an application, form, or document sent by mail, electronically transmitted, or transmitted by facsimile:

(i) As part of an application or enrollment process;

(ii) To establish, amend, or terminate an account, contract, or policy; or

(iii) To confirm the accuracy of the individual’s Social Security number;

(3) The use of an individual’s Social Security number for internal verification or administrative purposes; or

(4) An interactive computer service provider’s or a telecommunications provider’s transmission or routing of, or intermediate temporary storage or caching of, an individual’s Social Security number.

(c) This section does not impose a duty on an interactive computer service provider or a telecommunications provider actively to monitor its service or affirmatively to seek evidence of the transmission of Social Security numbers on its service.