Credit bureaus have been criticized for various reasons, including:Racial bias: Credit scoring systems have been accused of systematizing biases that have been measured externally and are known to impact disadvantaged groups such as racial minorities and women. Discrimination against prospective employees: Credit bureaus have been accused of discriminating against prospective employees based on their credit scores. Discrimination against medical and student debt holders: Credit bureaus have been accused of discriminating against medical and student debt holders. Poor risk predictability: Credit scoring systems have been criticized for their poor risk predictability. Manipulation of credit scoring algorithms: Credit bureaus have been accused of manipulating credit scoring algorithms. Inaccurate reports: Credit bureaus have been criticized for making a tremendous amount of mistakes at the consumers’ expense. Lack of accuracy requirements: Credit bureaus are under no legal requirement to be accurate. Difficulty in advocating for oneself: Consumers sometimes find it difficult to advocate for themselves when credit reporting issues arise because they are not aware of their rights and how to exercise them. Opaque algorithms: Credit algorithms are proprietary, so they cannot be tested for built-in human bias. Variation in scoring: Research shows that there is substantial variation in scoring based on audits, and responsible financial behavior can be penalized. Conflicts of interest: The credit rating industry has long been plagued by acute conflicts of interest, which has led to a paramount level of rating inflation and the catastrophic failure of credit rating agencies in their roles as financial informational intermediaries during the Financial Crisis 2007–2008. Issuer-pay business model: The 'issuer-pay' business model is the root cause of the problem of rating inflation, although this remuneration model was classed as one of the most significant innovations of the credit rating industry for enhancing the industry’s sustainability and competitiveness in modern times. Overall, credit bureaus have been criticized for their lack of accuracy requirements, opaque algorithms, and potential for discrimination and bias.