The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it is launching an inquiry into the small business credit reporting industry. Specifically, it is ordering five firms to provide detailed information about their products and processes.

According to the FTC, the impetus for this inquiry is that unlike consumer reports, which are governed by the Fair Credit

On March 15, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a Request for Information (Request) seeking public comment on the business practices of data brokers and how they impact the daily lives of consumers. Specifically, the CFPB is interested in hearing details about the types of data that data brokers collect and sell, as well

A recent opinion issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted an employer’s motion for summary judgment, rejecting a series of technical arguments advanced by the plaintiff that the employer’s background check authorization forms violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

In Keefer v. Ryder Integrated Logistics, Inc. (Ryder Integrated),

On May 26, preliminary approval was sought to resolve a proposed class action, pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, against background screening company Inflection Risk Solutions LLC (Inflection). The proposed settlement seeks to resolve claims that Inflection violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act by allegedly reporting misdemeanor convictions as felonies

In December 2021, a federal judge granted a motion for summary judgment in Mitchell v. Specialized Loan Servicing LLC, holding that defendant Specialized Loan Servicing LLC (Specialized Loan) properly reported plaintiff Eric Mitchell’s (Mitchell) loan status by using a designation indicating “no payment history available this month.” The court held that this designation complied

On January 26, a federal judge granted plaintiff Maria Garcia’s (Garcia) motion to remand on the basis that the amount in controversy was below the required threshold. The order was based on the court’s interpretation of the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Act’s (ICRAA) statutory damages scheme and its finding that the statute allows for one

Recently, a district judge in California granted a defendant’s motion to dismiss in Koeut v. Navient Corp., ruling that the plaintiff failed to specifically allege facts to support an inference that Navient Corporation and Navient Solutions LLC violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the California Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act (CCRAA). The

In November, the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) and the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) joined forces to submit an amicus brief in support of landlords’ First Amendment right to conduct criminal record background checks. The case is Yim v. City of Seattle, on appeal before the Ninth Circuit, challenging a Seattle ordinance that

On December 8, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) adopted a rule specifying the minimum national requirements for registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The rule, which takes effect on January 7, 2022, “provides a concise and comprehensive statement of what sex offenders must do to comply with SORNA’s requirements.” The

In a report released on November 2, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found that credit report disputes more commonly occur among consumers in majority Black and Hispanic neighborhoods than consumers in majority white neighborhoods. New CFPB Director Rohit Chopra attributed this disparity to alleged “[e]rror-ridden credit reports” that “are far too prevalent and may