| Entities | |
| Topics and Issues | Credit Header (15) Data brokers (48) Privacy (46) |
In December 1997, the FTC issued a report to congress on individual reference services. This report came at the request of U.S. Senators Larry Pressler (R-SC), Richard H. Bryan (D-NV), and Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC). Following this request, the FTC conducted
a study of computerized database services that are used to locate, identify, or verify the identity of individuals, often referred to as ‘individual reference services’ or ‘look-up services.’ The Commission has gathered information about the individual reference services industry by soliciting public comments and holding a public workshop in June 1997. At the workshop, industry members announced that they had formed the “Individual Reference Services Group,” or “IRSG Group” and intended to draft a self-regulatory framework to address concerns associated with their industry. Commission staff has worked with this group to encourage it to adopt an effective self-regulatory proposal.
This report summarizes what the Commission has learned about the individual reference services industry, examines the benefits, risks, and potential controls associated with these services, and assesses the viability of the IRSG Group’s proposal. The report concludes with recommendations that address concerns left unresolved by the proposal.