WASHINGTON STATE — Attorney General Nick Brown has reached an agreement to safeguard the private data of over 1 million Washington residents receiving federal food assistance benefits.
“When someone in Washington signs up for help putting food on the table, their confidential information is protected by law,” Brown stated.
The agreement with Fidelity Information Services, the vendor managing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Washington, ensures the company will adhere to its contract, limiting the disclosure of confidential information.
The Attorney General’s Office sued Fidelity in Thurston County Superior Court on July 24, 2025, to prevent the company from illegally sharing SNAP recipients’ data with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which sought the information for immigration enforcement.
Despite initial intentions to disclose data, Fidelity ultimately complied with requests from the Washington Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS) not to share any confidential information. An investigation confirmed that Fidelity did not disclose such data to the USDA.
The agreement reaffirms Fidelity’s and DSHS’s confidentiality obligations, ensuring no confidential information has been or will be disclosed.
This lawsuit is one of several actions Brown has taken recently to protect SNAP recipients. In October 2025, Brown and a multistate coalition secured a preliminary injunction blocking USDA’s demands for sensitive information. They have also filed a motion to enforce this injunction.
