FTC: Consumer Privacy Comments Concerning Rick Johnson & Associates of Colorado, Inc.--P974806 RICK JOHNSON
1649 Downing Street
Denver, CO 80218-1528 July 10, 1997 Secretary, Federal Trade Commission Re: Support of Self-Regulation Dear Mr. Secretary,: In response to the commissions request for additional comments following the hearing held June 10, 1997, my firm and I are regular users of public and non-public records and support the proposition of self-regulation. The data that we regularly access and use in our reports to clients is a beneficial use and need in society. It is important that a free flow of information be available to support commerce in our judicial system as well as our clients. It allows the public, who does not have the resources, to manage all of the problems they are faced with to defend itself without looking to government for help. Further, regulations would create additional barriers to us that we use to prevent fraud and other criminal activity. Furthermore, the information is used to bring families together and in particular assist women who have been victimized by stalkers, past lovers, and former husbands. We are required to keep the information confidential and maintain a high degree of accuracy in our reports due to law and the tests of the courts and marketplace. To have the targets of our investigation able to browse, around in our inquiries and data would be the death of our industry. The prevention of wrong doing and protection of fraud are real tests of the use of data. Privacy protection can be managed and should be managed through our industry. Our industry has started a willingness and desire to self-regulate and will continue to do so in the future. This industry must have the opportunity to self-regulate and welcome the government's help in the enforcement of rules through various industry associations. I ask that you support self-regulation and work with the industry to successfully bring about policies and procedures that we can all live with in a free society. Sincerely yours, Rick JohnsonRick Johnson RJ/ge |