Tomorrow, credit information on private people in Finland becomes public
@ 5:46 pm By Sirkuspelle
Asiakastieto.fi will launch a new service in Finland tomorrow. Credit information about private people will become public and available. A credit report on a private person will cost between 3-4 Euros. There you can also get credit reports on businesses.
Some people are worried that this information will be used to discriminate against people. In countries where credit information is available about people, the person’s consent is often needed in order to actually use that information, such as in an employment check. (Such right-protection safeguards would be surprising in Finland, where the government allows magazines and cellular services to sell private peoples’ income information from the tax authority, which eventually finds its way into the Internet. Google “Veropörssi” and see what I mean.) I will also be interested to see if the give the “right to object”, and the right to be notified if someone accesses one’s data. They do seem to honour the right to access one’s data. I wonder if they will honour the right to correct wrong data. If they do end up operating in a way that it not in adherence with EU legislation regarding protection of Personal Data, the European Commission will be hearing about it. And it will be interesting to find out what rights and safeguards we actually do have.
At any rate, let’s hope and pray that this does not turn into the present circus that we have with peoples’ tax records, which, by the way, become public again in November. Let’s also keep our eyes open for non-adherence to EU legislation regarding protection of personal data. And let’s hope that this does not turn into exactly what the Swedish government was forced to put a stop to this past summer: Credit checks where you could get someone’s name, birthday, salary, wealth, street address, and municipality. Even the originators of this “openness” with private peoples’ personal information, the Swedes, finally figured out that selling peoples income information, birthdate, address, and so forth (even of underage people) in the Internet is downright stupid.
give me a fucking break ! What kind of country do we live on ???
Comment by unlce sam — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 8:23 pm
It should be noted, that private persons’ credit information has so far been practically public, as any company who does give credit to it’s customers (including those “pikavippi” ones that operate from a post office box) could have checked anyones data. However, on applying for such credit you mostly are agreeing that your credit status will be checked by signing the application. But this is simply a fine print, and actually not needed, as there is no register of who actually has requested this data. Only a “number of inquiries” has been given on request. This has made it the case that a persons credit record can be obtained by anyone, all you need to have is a friend or contact who has an “asiakastieto” account.
A positive side on this service is indeed the fact that you now can even check your OWN data as easily as those companies have been able to do earlier.
Despite the fact, that I’m used to having my credit, tax, car, property, and whatever records public, I’m very disturbed that they state, that “omatieto.fi” service is a “easy, quick and INEXPENSIVE” way to check your own records. Inexpensive (edullinen)? Sounds to me that they are planning to charge for that service. Makes you think about what this amount will be, doesn’t it?
Comment by Mikko — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 8:36 pm
Also I think one clarification is in order. The “credit information” in Finland is actually pretty different from the ones in North America. It is reasonably hard to get “negative mark” into your credit information (and negative marks == credit information in Finland.). I.e. you really have to screw up to get one, though in the day and age of SMS loans it might not be :-).
I was surprised on the amount of info that is stored in USA/Canada when I lived there and checked my credit history.
http://www.asiakastieto.fi/yksityisille/uk_4.jsp?l1=4
vs.
http://www.equifax.com/credit-report-history/
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 8:46 pm
You can still buy the information in Sweden, the law has not changed that, the difference is that now the person who is looked up is informed that they have been looked up, and by whom. There is also supposed to be a “legitimate requirement” for making the requirement, but that seems to be largely meaningless so far. Perhaps that will change if someone challenges it in the courts. In any case, it is wrong to say that the Swedish government has put a stop to it. Pop over to Ratsit.se for instance.
That said, as I have said before in the innumerate topics that we have had on this subject, I don’t believe that private companies should be selling this kind of data for a profit. It should be only the tax agency itself that controls the distribution of this information.
Comment by JG — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 9:01 pm
Finland is probably the worst country when it comes to violating its residents’ rights. I mean, there are really some disgraceful practices going on.
I hope, as the poster stated, the EU will come down on Finland with a big hammer. This stuff needs to end.
Business professionals and engineers move to Finland for various lengths of time on job assignments, and this is not what they expect from a supposedly ‘modern’ nordic country. It’s incredibly insulting to many people.
Could someone please post the website that explains Finland’s abhorrent privacy violations? I can’t find the address anywhere.
Comment by pissed off Finnish resident — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 9:13 pm
I don’t undertsand what the hell is the problem?
Basically the credit information informs who you are and where you live and whether you have “a negative payment record”.
In other words - if I am renting a flat to some random person off the street, where is *my* right to know if the person can pay the rent?
Also, if I am going into invest money into a private business venture; how can *I* know the person is the person he states or if he’s some fraud?
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 9:35 pm
You just sound like you’re coming here to make debts and fraud people and then run away to foreign countries and let the stupids pay. It is good we have this kind of system so your kind af abhorrent fraudsters cannot operate any more.
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
This is not a problem. Businesses have to know your credit rating, so they just buy it.
gee guys can’t you find some country like the USA to blame here? We are the evil ones.
Comment by winter, "Yea, Proton Power, now in remission" — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 9:40 pm
Anonymous - “You just sound like you’re coming here to make debts and fraud people and then run away to foreign countries and let the stupids pay.”
Anonymous, we are discussing the publishing of people’s private credit information without their consent.
If you don’t understand the topic, then please ask someone to explain it before you comment. Meanwhile, read this (found it in Google)
http://www.verosirkus.net
Comment by pissed off Finnish resident — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
Well nobody invited you to come here, nobody keeps you here, so you can leave if it is so terrible.
Comment by Anonymous — Wed, Oct 31st, 2007 @ 11:34 pm
Wow, anonymous! Your arguing skills outshine the other anonymous’ skills.
Comment by Dave the Revelator — Thu, Nov 1st, 2007 @ 1:43 am
PS, anonymous. Why do you insist on being “anonymous,” if you are so comfortable with people knowing who you are, what you think and where you might live?
Comment by Dave the Revelator — Thu, Nov 1st, 2007 @ 1:44 am
If you ever want to find Verosirkus.com, just click my alias “Sirkuspelle”.
When I see this new service, I am filled with apprehension. I can just see right now and new magazine: “Luottotietopörssi”
But of course that would be wholesaling personal data, wouldn’t it, and the Article 29 Working Group gives guidance against this sort of thing. (they are part of the European Commission)
I just hope this ends up being a valid service and not another Satamedia. Veropörssi magazine is not even good as a bench liner in the sauna because it leaves lists of peoples’ incomes imprinted on your butt.Think, enough people lay >8 EUR each for those magazines to keep that industry going. I bought one once to send to the European Data Protection Ombudsman so he can see how the government of Finland is clowning around with personal data.
Comment by Sirkuspelle — Thu, Nov 1st, 2007 @ 9:25 am
Oh, these services seem to be ubiquitous. I am slightly peeved though at HS jumping on the bandwagon and having their own “tax info” page. Supposed to be “serious news”.
Then again I have a copy of the “tax calendar” of Helsinki 1967 and checked my dad is there with enough taxable “äyri” (from swedish half-penny, from latin aureus I think), so he was a “somebody”.
Imagine getting a phone-book like list into your mail…
Comment by Hank W. — Thu, Nov 1st, 2007 @ 12:35 pm