Consumer complaint received 2023-12-27 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report — Reporting company used your report improperly
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
The XXXX Annual 10-K Form under U.S. Data and Privacy Protection Page XXXX it states, Our U.S. operations are subject to numerous laws and regulations governing privacy, data security, consumer protection and the use of consumer credit information. Certain of these laws provide for civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized release of, or access to, this protected information. The laws and regulations that affect our U.S. business include, but are not limited to, the following : Fair Credit Reporting Act ( the FCRA ) : The FCRA applies to consumer reporting agencies, including us, as well as data furnishers and users of consumer reports. The FCRA promotes the accuracy, fairness and confidentiality of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies that engage in the practice of assembling and evaluating consumer credit and other information relating to consumers for certain specified purposes. The FCRA limits what information may be reported by consumer reporting agencies, limits the distribution and use of consumer reports, establishes consumer rights to access and dispute their own credit files, includes provisions designed to prevent identity theft and assist fraud victims, requires consumer reporting agencies to make a free annual credit report available to consumers and imposes many other requirements on consumer reporting agencies, data furnishers and users of consumer report information. Violation of the FCRA can result in civil and criminal penalties. Regulatory enforcement of the FCRA is under the purview of the Federal Trade Commission ( the FTC ), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( the CFPB ) and state attorneys general, acting alone or in concert with XXXX another. Many states have their own fair credit reporting laws, which XXXX include more exacting requirements, if not preempted by the FCRA. 

State unfair and deceptive practices acts and practices laws : Many states have enacted statutes that prohibit unfair and deceptive acts and practices, relating to, among other things, marketing, disclosures and billing practices within the state or directed to consumers within the state. The Company and others in the industry may be subject to these laws with respect to the marketing of consumer credit information products. '' Federal Trade Commission Act ( the FTC Act ) : The FTC Act prohibits unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices. We must comply with the FTC Act when we market certain credit related products, such as consumer credit monitoring and identity protection services. Our data collection, use and disclosure practices and the security measures we employ to safeguard the personal data of consumers could also be subject to the FTC Act, and our data practices or our failure to safeguard data adequately may subject us to regulatory scrutiny or enforcement action.

The Equifax Annual 10-K Form under the Summary of U.S. Regulations Relating to Consumer and Data Protection pages XXXX  states, Our U.S. operations are subject to numerous laws and regulations governing the collection, protection and use of consumer credit and other information, and imposing sanctions for the misuse of such information or unauthorized access to data. Many of these provisions also affect our customers use of consumer credit or other data we furnish. Examples of the most significant U.S. laws include, but are not limited to, the following : Federal Laws and Regulation FCRA. The Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) regulates consumer reporting agencies, including many of our U.S. operations, as well as data furnishers and users of consumer reports such as banks and other companies. FCRA provisions govern the accuracy, fairness and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies ( CRAs ) that engage in the practice of assembling or evaluating certain information relating to consumers for certain specified purposes. Among other requirements, the FCRA limits the type of information that may be reported by CRAs, limits the distribution and use of consumer reports and establishes consumer rights to access, freeze and dispute information in the consumer 's files. CRAs are required to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates and if a consumer disputes the accuracy of any information in the consumers file, to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) is the primary regulator that enforces and provides regulatory guidance related to the FCRA in the United States. CRAs are required to comply with regulations promulgated by the CFPB and are subject to regular supervisory engagements related to a variety of FCRA requirements. Violation of the FCRA can result in civil and criminal penalties. The FCRA contains an attorney fee shifting provision to provide an incentive for consumers to bring individual or class action lawsuits against a CRA for violations of the FCRA. The United States Federal Trade Commission ( FTC ) and state attorneys general may also enforce the requirements of the FCRA.

Privacy Act of 1974 ( 5 U.S. Code 552a ) Important Definitions ( 4 ) the term record means any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency, including, but not limited to, his education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and that contains his name, or the identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a finger or voice print or a photograph ; This includes consumer reports ( b ) Conditions of Disclosure.No agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency, except pursuant to a written request by, or with the prior written consent of, the individual to whom the record pertains, unless disclosure of the record would be ( 12 ) to a consumer reporting agency in accordance with section 3711 ( e ) of title 31.

15 U.S. Code 6802 - Obligations with respect to disclosures of personal information ( a ) Notice requirements Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, a financial institution may not, directly or through any affiliate, disclose to a nonaffiliated third party any nonpublic personal information, unless such financial institution provides or has provided to the consumer a notice that complies with section 6803 of this title. 

Consumer : XXXX and Equifax and all other third party companies involved with the furnishing and sharing of my nonpublic private information are in violation of but not limited to their Indenture Agreement and Privacy Act of 1974. ALL inquiries, transaction histories, balance histories, past due balances were reported without my written, prior consent. Further action will be taken and reported to the FTC for willful non-compliance to settle the multiple disputes made by the consumer through the CFPB.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation