LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Choicepoint
built 665 days ago
Groups Urge FTC to Reevaluate FTC's Position on Choicepoint. EPIC and a coalition of privacy and consumer groups urged (pdf) Federal Trade Commission Chair Majoras to reevaluate the agency's position on commercial data brokers, as it was "very much in line with the views of the companies testifying before Congress, which had leaked or sold data to criminals, but was very far from the views expressed by consumer and privacy groups." The groups noted that the FTC itself contributed to current information privacy problems by approving self-regulatory principles authored by companies like Choicepoint and by allowing the sale of "credit headers" without privacy protections. The groups have called upon the FTC to "correct these extraordinary policy blunders and urge the application and enforcement of Fair Information Practices (FIPs) to the commercial data broker industry..." (Mar. 17, 2005)
Source:
EPIC, the PRC and other consumer organizations criticized FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras's testimony on commercial data broker Choicepoint to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. To read their letter to the Chairman, go to www.epic.org/privacy/choicepoint/majorasltr3.17.05.pdf.
Source:
The hearing began with testimony from Elizabeth Rosen, a California nurse whose information was sold to criminals by Choicepoint. Rosen explained in detail her frustration with Choicepoint, because the company would not provide her with her full profile. A portion of her file that she did receive had errors on almost every page, including multiple incorrect addresses; that she owned companies, including a deli; and that she maintained a box at Mailboxes Etc. Senator Lowenthal asked Choicepoint why the company wouldn't give Rosen the same information the company sold to criminals, but the Choicepoint representative wouldn't directly answer the question.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Choicepoint