Background-Check Software Goes Retail

Makarand writes "According to this article in the Mercury News, ChoicePoint Inc., one of the nation's largest vendors of personal, financial and legal data is attempting to mass market a background-check software tool-kit which can be used to tap into ChoicePoint's online databases. Choicepoint requires that you have a business license to run a small business to use this software. However, as users of these services are rarely audited or asked to produce their business license, the purchaser can potentially conduct criminal background checks, Social Security number identification and other checks on anyone for a small fee. Privacy advocates are cautioning that making background-check software a consumer product could easily put personal information into the wrong hands."

Comments

Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not that big of a deal though. Searching background information with the new check is pay-as-you-go. Buying the ChoicePoint product requires having a $30 membership at Sam's Club, as well as shipping costs if ordered online. It comes with $50 credit for searches -- enough to run a national criminal check, identity verification, and employment verification on one person, as well as a drug test.

Additional checks cost from $3 to verify a Social Security number to $9 for a credit report to $25 for a national criminal screening.

Already easy to do on the web

[Stugots]

There have for some time been a plethora of web-based services allowing you do exactly the same kind of background checking, with the same level of business license verification. (Or non-verification, depending on your point of view...)

This is really more of a packaging / marketing / merchandising issue, than a technical or even a legal issue.

In fact, since surfing the web is much easier than installing software, I wonder if this product will cause any increase in the occasions of misuse of background checking. Anyone who wants to do it but shouldn't be able to, already can take a crack at it via the web.

in the same vein (sic)

[jefu]

Check out the doctors national plantiff database where doctors can check to see if you're likely to cause them trouble if they treat you. They say "Tell your colleagues the playing field has been leveled."

Or Does a sexual predator live in your neighborhood?

These databases are inevitable and likely to proliferate.

Re:Business License

[bitmason]

Hate to break it to you, but you don't need to bother with a business license. There are already sites that you can run a check with just a SS# for no reason at all (e.g. www.rapsheets.com). BTW, You don't even need the SS# for a geographically constrained search.

Just a reminder ...

[pherris]

In the 2000 Presidential election ChoicePoint was the company that was the cause of the incorrect removal of thousands of voters from the State of Florida's voter rolls because were labelled as convicted felons. These voters were mostly black.

From Inside Republican America: A blacklist burning for Bush:

"The Observer discovered that Harris's office had ordered the elimination of 8,000 Florida voters on the grounds that they had committed felonies in other states. None had. Harris bought the bum list from a company called ChoicePoint, a firm whose Atlanta executive suite and boardroom are filled with Republican funders. ChoicePoint, we have learned, picked up the list of faux felons from state officials in - ahem - Texas. In fact, it was a roster of people who, like their Governor, George W, had committed nothing more than misdemeanours."

From Firm in Florida election fiasco earns millions from files on foreigners:

"The controversy is not the first to engulf ChoicePoint. The company's subsidiary, Database Technologies, was responsible for bungling an overhaul of Florida's voter registration records, with the result that thousands of people, disproportionately black, were disenfranchised in the 2000 election. Had they been able to vote, they might have swung the state, and thus the presidency, for Al Gore, who lost in Florida by a few hundred votes."

Simply put: ChoicePoint is evil. Welcome to Bush & Ashcroft's Amerika.

Re:It's already public info...

[BCW2]

Thats it. This company data-mines public records, including credit history and sells the results in a convienient form. Saves time for those wanting it.

I guess what they are really selling is access to their search engine.

Re:Butt Out

[Anonymous Coward]

You are retarded. Very simply retarded.

This is why, asshole.

Let's assume that you're right, and our government is perfect, and Bush's family never had any business ties with Osama.

Fine, I'll accept that, as soon as you tell me how allowing a product like this into wide distribution won't actually make it easier for terrorists to assume fake identities, and wreak more havoc.

You see, asshole, that as long as our system of terrorist identification relies on government issued papers, and with enough information about someone else, you can assume their identity, and get government papers to support it, we're vulnerable.

So, this is acutally one of the largest problems in the world today. With identity theft, millions of dollars can be laundered, quite easily, people can assume fake identities. For all you know, that tall skinny Colombian man down the street is Osama with a shave and a fake passport. So, go have a cup of shut the fsck up.

It's allready reality...in Germany

[althalus1969]

We have a system called "SCHUFA" and they collect everything financial about you.

Every Credit Card, every Bank Account, just about everything that has to do with your finances.
"How could that be bad?" you ask?. Easy.
Get into trouble (Credit rates delayed, Credit Card cancelled, Wrong Information entered into their system [it happened]) and BINGO, now more money from the bank.
In fact, no more Bankaccount. Yes, they can deny you the right to have a Bankaccount based upon a statement from the people at the "SCHUFA".
And it just takes 3 years to get records cleared from the statements.
Still not bad enough? You have to sign a statement for having you information and personal data transmitted to SCHUFA everytime you want something like...a telephone or change your ISP. Guess what happens if you get a negative report? Right.
And last, they invented a scoring system...based upon statistical data.
Living in a bad neighburhood? Negative Points in the soring system.
Had an accident some time ago, maybe even your fault? More negative points.
So the they assess you, and can deny a credit for example, just because you live in the wrong area.

You see, this is happening all over the world, and I don't think anyone can or will stop it. It'll get much worse before it might get better.

Cheers Jens

Re:Problem is that it's available AT ALL.

[GigsVT]

And as you hint at, there's no global definition of a "licensed business" anyway.

Where I live, you don't need a license of any sort to run a home business, you are supposed to file this paper that asks how many cars you expect to attract (for parking purposes), and if you'll put up a sign (to protect against obnoxious signage). You have to get it stamped by the building inspector. That's it.

I file schedule C for my contract work federally, but I don't have an EIN because I don't have employees and operate under my own name. Is that a "licensed business"?

Re:This will make stalking all the easier.

[GigsVT]

Given your UID I don't know if you were here 4 years ago, but I was, and it got like this before the last presidential election. It passes. Just wait a few months, by then every story will be infected by political ranting.

Re:So now...

[ameoba]

All you need to do is mention the word "FERPA" (if you live in USia) in cases like this to get administrators shitting themselves and working with you.

You miss the point

[Sycraft-fu]

Now I'm guessing from the no saliry and bank account that you are a minor, and don't have any assets. That's great. However for those of us that DO it can be a major problem. If you got my bank account number, SSN, address, vital stastics and such, you could rip me off for quite a bit of money. You could actually do this with much less, just my check card number and experation date would do it.

This is the real concern. Sorry to shatter any illusions you may have had but the finincal world, at least for normal people, does not invlove 5 keys, 3 passwords, a retenal scan and a secret handshake. Some information and numbers is more or less all you need.