How Web Searches Can Destroy Your Privacy
When you search for information online, you're not the only one who learns something. Microsoft retains data identifying your search--including the words and sites you searched for, and the time and date--for 18 months. Google keeps this data for nine months. In response to pressure from privacy advocates, Yahoo recently dropped its data-retention time to 90 days.
Because searches can be traced to you by name through your computer's IP address (the unique identifying number assigned to all computers to access the Web), Internet search companies have a detailed profile of your personal interests and tastes. Experts worry that this private data could be misused.
In 2006, America Online (AOL) shared the search records of 658,000 users with academics for research purposes. Even though AOL tried to protect the identities of its users, some data were able to be linked back to specific individuals.
"What if every phone conversation you had was recorded and used to make decisions about you?" asks Paul Stephens of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer-advocacy organization. "Your searches may provide information that's just as personal, such as illnesses you are researching."
"Consumers have no control over how their most intimate data are used," says Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. Currently, there are no comprehensive laws that provide privacy protection for data submitted to search engines. Should search data be private?
Showing posts with label PUBLIC RECORDS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PUBLIC RECORDS. Show all posts
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Friday, December 12, 2008
HOW TO REMOVE PUBLIC RECORDS FROM YOUR CREDIT REPORT
This is one strategy that attorney's charge $1,500 or more for. It is the technique that removes any public record from your credit report, in a legal fashion.
As with any form of credit restoration, there is the process of challenging the listing for validity and requesting documentation that the debt exists. The way to remove public records is to challenge individual items, such as date discharged, amount, date of last activity etc. Dispute the individual information contained in the public record as being incomplete.
If there is nothing missing, first dispute the entire listing. If the report comes back as verified, then request the "method of verification".
As stated in the Fair Credit Reporting Act:
15 U.S.C section 1681 (i)(7): "Description of reinvestigative procedure. A consumer reporting agency shall provide to a consumer a description referred to in paragraph (6)(B)(iii)by not later than 15 days after receiving a request from a consumer for that description."
(6)(B)(iii)"...a description of the procedure used to determine accuracy and completeness of the information shall be provided to the consumer by the agency, including the business name and address of the furnisher of information contacted in connection with such information and the telephone number of such furnisher
The credit bureaus rarely provide the furnishers contact information because they don't want the consumer to realize that in most cases all they're doing is a computer verification and not a verbal one. When this information is not given in a resonable and timely manner, pressure can then be put on the credit reporting agency to delete the account.
The main thing to point out here is PROCEDURE. The CRA must follow procedure as set forth in the law.
15 U.S.C. section 168 (e): Accuracy of report. Whenever a consumer reporting agency prepares a consumer report it shall follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates
As with any form of credit restoration, there is the process of challenging the listing for validity and requesting documentation that the debt exists. The way to remove public records is to challenge individual items, such as date discharged, amount, date of last activity etc. Dispute the individual information contained in the public record as being incomplete.
If there is nothing missing, first dispute the entire listing. If the report comes back as verified, then request the "method of verification".
As stated in the Fair Credit Reporting Act:
15 U.S.C section 1681 (i)(7): "Description of reinvestigative procedure. A consumer reporting agency shall provide to a consumer a description referred to in paragraph (6)(B)(iii)by not later than 15 days after receiving a request from a consumer for that description."
(6)(B)(iii)"...a description of the procedure used to determine accuracy and completeness of the information shall be provided to the consumer by the agency, including the business name and address of the furnisher of information contacted in connection with such information and the telephone number of such furnisher
The credit bureaus rarely provide the furnishers contact information because they don't want the consumer to realize that in most cases all they're doing is a computer verification and not a verbal one. When this information is not given in a resonable and timely manner, pressure can then be put on the credit reporting agency to delete the account.
The main thing to point out here is PROCEDURE. The CRA must follow procedure as set forth in the law.
15 U.S.C. section 168 (e): Accuracy of report. Whenever a consumer reporting agency prepares a consumer report it shall follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates
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