Legally, they can’t. In the US, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires those seeking information on individuals in relation to employment, housing, creditworthiness, and eligibility for insurance to only use registered Consumer Reporting Agencies. These agencies include well-known companies like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. In practice, there’s nothing really stopping a money-lender or absentee landlord from checking up on individuals using Whitepages.