Exposed: Experian

Experian is the largest of the three major credit bureaus by revenue, maintaining credit and consumer data on over 1.4 billion individuals and 200 million businesses globally. Beyond credit reporting, Experian operates a massive data broker business through Experian Marketing Services, which sells consumer data including purchasing behavior, lifestyle indicators, and demographic profiles to marketers. Experian's ConsumerView database contains over 300 million US consumer profiles with thousands of data attributes each, used for targeted advertising, direct mail campaigns, and digital marketing. The company also operates Experian Boost, which accesses bank account transaction data to incorporate utility and subscription payments into credit scores. While marketed as a consumer benefit, Experian Boost requires linking bank accounts, giving Experian direct access to checking account transactions. Experian has faced multiple data exposure incidents, including a 2020 breach in South Africa affecting 24 million consumers and a 2023 incident where an employee was caught selling consumer data on the dark web. The credit bureau model ensures Experian profits from both creating consumer financial profiles without consent and selling marketing data derived from those profiles.