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ArticlesChoicePoint - Is Big Brother Watching You?ChoicePoint is what you call a data aggregator; they compile in-depth dossiers of personal information on almost everyone, even though you may have never heard of them, never had an account with them, nor ever given them permission to obtain personal your information. ChoicePoint maintains databases of names, addresses, social security numbers, credit reports, and other sensitive information on many millions of individuals. ChoicePoint then sells your personal information to different industries or individuals.ChoicePoint claims to be the leading provider of identification and credential verification services to business, government, and individual customers. They also provide fraud prevention information and risk management services to the insurance industry. ChoicePoint's Insurance Services Division provides underwriting and claims information such as motor vehicle reports, claims histories, customized policy ratings, issuance software, property inspections, and audits. Their Business and Government Services division provides pre-employment drug screening, shareholder searches, credential verification and background checks for employers. They also provide information to debt collectors, loan officers, media organizations, law offices, and law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement information includes arrest and conviction history, fugitive files, state and county criminal record repositories, prison, parole and release files from state Department of Corrections. Potential employers can use ChoicePoint data for previous employment verification, education verification, license credentials, certification verification, and business or personal reference verification. Landlords can use ChoicePoint data for tenant rental history, criminal histories, eviction, registered sex offenders, and FBI searches. Private individuals can also use their services for background checks on Nanny's and other in home care persons. Even though they are committed to security and fraud prevention ChoicePoint recently had their own data security breach. Identity thieves opened 50 accounts to access personal information in ChoicePoint's databases by posing as legitimate businesses in insurance, debt collection, and check cashing. Prior to February 2005 ChoicePoint inadvertently sold financial and personal information to these fraud artists that resulted in massive identity theft. ChoicePoint began warning over 100,000 people across the country that they could be possible targets of fraud. Investigators believe that number could go a lot higher as the investigation continues. There is enormous controversy surrounding this massive gathering of personal information. Was George Orwell in his novel 1984 closer to the truth than any of us realized? Is everyone under surveillance? Did suspicion give rise to companies such as ChoicePoint? We already know that there can be erroneous information on our credit reports because of similarity in names or because of the way companies conduct the searches for information. It is important that at least once a year you obtain a copy of your credit report and verify all information on it. You may be turned down when trying to rent, applying for a job or receive less than the best rates on loans or insurance. Imagine what can happen when you add to the mix police reports, convictions, and other history that may not be yours. This could be considered the biggest privacy invasion in the history of mankind with potentially disastrous results. Consumers can request a free copy of reports maintained by ChoicePoint when a prospective employer, landlord, or insurer has used ChoicePoint's services for screening purposes. A recent book by Washington Post reporter Robert O'Harrow, No Place to Hide, provides extensive information about the data compiler industry, with company profiles on ChoicePoint, Acxiom, and Lexis-Nexis. It's a good read and will open your eyes about this industry. Related Articles:
Comment on this article:
Wow! Very interesting article. I had know idea that a single company had such a broad reach when it came to personal data. J Edgar Hoover would be proud!
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