Consumer Law

Companies that Collect Your Personal Information

By M. Stan Herring

The Michigan Collection Law Blog has posted an article, originally from ConsumerReports.org, about how insurance companies, creditors, employers, landlords, insurers and law enforcement agencies (and identity theft criminals) collect more information about consumers than one might expect.

Demand for your personal information has exploded in recent years. Its availability has also raised privacy concerns. When users buy and compile various pieces of information about you, ?they can paint a very complete picture of your activities,? says Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy at the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group.

For example, insurance claims you have filed are collected by a company called ChoicePoint and are used as references by insurance companies to determine home and auto insurance rates. Your health information, such as records of prescription drugs, is collected by MIB Group for similar reasons. Both of these fall under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, therefore, you can receive a free copy of your credit report annually.

Other information that is monitored and collected about you include your checking account,
returned purchases, rental history, mailing lists and credit history.

If you have any questions or concerns about this topic, feel free to contact us by calling 205-879-2447.

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Full post as published by Alabama Consumer Blog on January 06, 2010 (boomark / email).