Topics Archives: Information Policy

Give Credit Where Credit is Due: Increasing Access to Affordable Mainstream Credit Using Alternative Data

PERC’s landmark study on bringing the estimated 35 to 54 million Americans outside the mainstream credit system into the credit fold, Give Credit Where Credit Is Due offers feasible market solutions involving “alternative” or non-traditional payment data, such as payment obligations such as rent, gas, electric, insurance, and other recurring obligations, to evaluate the risk profile of a potential borrower.

Towards a Rational Data Breach Notification Regime

Identity theft is a significant problem in need of federal legislation. Any standard for breach notification must be uniform and therefore national. This study examines the challenges of establishing a national standard.

2003 Privacy Report Card

This survey rates the accurateness of five privacy surveys released in 2003.

Measuring the True Cost of Privacy: A Rebuttal to “Privacy, Consumers, and Costs”

The policy debate surrounding privacy is already murky, as there exists little agreement on the scope of the issues, the problems and how to resolve them, and even how privacy is defined. Robert Gellman’s latest contribution to this debate, rather than lending clarity to the issues surrounding privacy, largely serves to further muddy the waters. This is unfortunate, because, if one takes the time to sift through the ill-defined terms, overly-simplistic arguments, and unsubstantiated assertions, there are points worthy of further consideration.