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Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• The long lines on election days across countries and continents suggest dynamic democracies. But despite the calendar aligning for a record-setting number of people worldwide eligible to vote this year, democracy itself is actually imperiled. That’s the clear conclusion from Freedom House, which said in its annual “ Freedom in the World ” report that “flawed elections and armed conflicts contributed to the 18th year of democratic decline.” The “breadth and depth of the deterioration was extensive,” the think tank reported, adding that “political rights and civil liberties were diminished in 52 countries, while only 21 countries saw improvements.” That analysis was amplified in a similarly grim report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, which starkly stated that “conflict and polarization drive a new low for global democracy.” This dire data corresponds with, and may have been caused by, a commensurate retreat in media freedom, as evidenced by Reporters Without Borders’ annual World Press Freedom Index , which warned that “press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors — political authorities.” Indeed, if democracy were a stock, “it would have suffered something of a price correction over the last 20 years,” said Richard Haass , the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. Haass, a veteran envoy who served Republican and Democratic administrations, was speaking via video on Tuesday night at a Minnesota Peace Initiative forum called “The World Votes: Global Democracy at a Crossroads.” The event, held in Minneapolis at Norway House (fitting, considering Norway held the top spot in the World Press Freedom Index and along with fellow Scandinavian nations is ranked as the world’s most free by Freedom House), drew a capacity crowd with many more online to hear from Haass, me and three other panelists: Chad Vickery , vice president of global strategy and technical leadership at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems; Aram Gavoor , a former Justice Department official and current professor at the George Washington University Law School; and Thomas Hanson , diplomat-in-residence at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Haass cited several factors for his clear-eyed diagnosis of democracy, including technological transformations that have ushered in an unsettled media landscape. “We live in one of the odd moments in history where there’s never been greater access to information and never been greater access to disinformation,” Haass said, adding that citizens don’t know if information is “accurate, fully accurate, partially accurate or essentially inaccurate.” That’s to autocrats’ advantage, asserted Gavoor, who said that this country’s competitors “have sought to exploit the U.S. democratic system for quite some time.” The “age of technology, especially with social media,” he said, has “taken on a dramatically different dimension.” Mentioned as additional direct democratic threats were distributed denial-of-service attacks and “strategic foreign mis- and disinformation campaigns that oftentimes are quite opportunistic and play on various doubts in the minds of Americans.” Gavoor gave this good news, however: “The federal government has actually gotten quite adept and capable with regard to identifying foreign mis- and disinformation to the extent that there are significant bodies that exist to combat these things,” like the National Security Council and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. But the threat to democracy from domestic disinformation is an even greater challenge, Gavoor said. And, he added, wherever the disinformation originates, the objective is similar. “Keep in mind that the end goal is not just to disrupt an American election or to cause a particular candidate to be advantaged or not. The end goal is to undermine the entire system of American governance and the faith in American democracy and perhaps greater softening of the resolve to maintain a democracy.” Disinformation is just one component corroding democratic norms within some countries, said Vickery. “We’ve learned how autocracy works: First, you have to win an election by popular vote, usually running against the elites in your country.” Next, he said, “you change the election laws, you game the system to make sure you can win again and not be challenged again.” “But then the third thing is you need to harass civil society in many places” — places like Norway House, he said. “After that, you need to pack the courts with judges who are going to support you, and then you want to enrich your cronies with corruption and then you buy up newspapers and television and make this propaganda machine.” If the democracy-tending attendees at Norway House were any indication, that’s not about to happen here. Indeed, the citizen engagement on display was considered a model by moderator Janet Dolan, who co-created the Minnesota Peace Initiative with her husband, William Moore. The other panelists concurred on Dolan’s admiration, and that along with a free press, such civic involvement should be inviolate in this country and the others it tries to inspire toward a democratic form of government. But the beacon that former Foreign Service officers like Hanson projected and protected on behalf of this country may not shine as bright in recent years. “I think many people in the world perceive that the American model of democracy is less compelling than it was, and that makes our work globally much more challenging,” said Hanson, who added, “and we’re beginning to see other narratives of contestation on democracy and on elections.” Hanson, who will hold his highly anticipated and attended Global Minnesota “ 2025 U.S. Foreign Policy Update ” on Jan. 23, began by saying he was “struck by the dichotomy between an agreed ‘recession of democracy’ and an unprecedented number of elections” this year. “I think that shows how elections nowadays are being used to legitimize variants of democracy.” Many “managed democracies around the world hold elections if they predetermine who can participate. This is the case in Russia. This is the case in Pakistan.” And, he added, “I hate to say it, but at the local level in our own country our two parties go to great lengths to prevent any third-party candidate from participating, which is a minor example of what I’m describing.” According to Vickery, those democracies, however managed or free and fair, have had results that can be categorized as “change-of-status elections” like in the U.S., U.K., South Africa, North Macedonia, Botswana, Senegal and others. Next are elections “solidifying power,” such as in Indonesia and Mexico. And more hopefully, there are examples of “bounce-back” democracies that through elections or civic action have gone “in the right direction,” including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. While not as many will queue to choose their leaders next year, Vickery noted that there will be 102 elections in 68 nations affecting 1.2 billion citizens worldwide. So for many, 2025 will truly be an election year, even if globally it isn’t quite a year of elections like 2024. But democracy “is about more than voting,” said Haass. “We the citizens, we the people, have the obligation, and I would argue the self-interest, to exercise our democratic rights, to stay informed, to stay involved, and to make sure that those who are entrusted with outsized political power comport themselves and act consistent with the law, and act consistent with the norms that make our democracy what it is.” What it is can be credited in no small part to the kind of civil, civic engagement from groups like the Minnesota Peace Initiative and the involved, inspiring citizens attending Tuesday’s event.Assemblymember Arambula Says He’ll Run for Fresno City Council
President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s choice for solicitor general. The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table. He has been holding meetings with foreign leaders and business officials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida while he assembles his administration, including a meeting last week with TikTok CEO Shou Chew. Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He said earlier this year that he still believed there were national security risks with TikTok, but that he opposed banning it. The filings Friday come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The law was was signed by President Joe Biden in April after it passed Congress with broad bipartisan support. TikTok and ByteDance filed a legal challenge afterwards. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” In their brief to the Supreme Court on Friday, attorneys for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued the federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on “alleged ‘risks’ that China could exercise control” over TikTok’s U.S. platform by pressuring its foreign affiliates. The Biden administration has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok’s U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread or suppress information. But the government “concedes that it has no evidence China has ever attempted to do so,” TikTok’s legal filing said, adding that the U.S. fears are predicated on future risks. In its filing Friday, the Biden administration said because TikTok “is integrated with ByteDance and relies on its propriety engine developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries with it risk.DIMO Academy, the vocational training arm of DIMO, entered a strategic partnership with HomeServe Germany, a global leader in home assistance, on 2 December at the Hiton Residences. By offering job placements in Germany’s thriving building service sector, aimed at empowering the local youth with globally recognised qualifications, this joint endeavour marks the beginning of strengthened workforce development. Vocational training is essential as it provides individuals with practical skills and knowledge for vital career paths often overlooked by many, fostering steady employment and economic growth in Sri Lanka. As part of this partnership, DIMO Academy is set to offer world-class qualifications aligned with rigorous German vocational standards, culminating in a German diploma in plant engineering accredited by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK). The program includes German language training, ensuring graduates are well-versed to launch successful careers in Germany. Upon completion, certified graduates will secure employment with HomeServe Germany, positioning them as skilled professionals in the country’s thriving building services industry. DIMO has also invested in an advanced training facility in Peliyagoda, scheduled to open in February 2025. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the facility aims to train students to the highest international standards. This collaboration addresses the growing global demand for skilled service technicians, particularly in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)-driven by increasing focus on energy efficiency, sustainable construction, and urbanisation. Opportunities like these are crucial, especially to contribute to the skill shortages within industries in Germany, due to their high standards and dependence on renewable energies which the world is slowly adopting to. By aligning with these global benchmarks, DIMO Academy not only prepares its graduates for international technical careers but also elevates the standard of vocational education in Sri Lanka. This initiative will enhance the local building services sector by promoting a pool of technically proficient talent, equipped to meet both domestic and international standards. “We are indeed privileged to partner with HomeServe Germany, a leading company in the global building services industry,” said DIMO Executive Director and Chief Human Resources Officer Dilrukshi Kurukulasuriya. “This alliance showcases the DIMO Academy’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with the global industry to foster employment opportunities and the exchange of technical knowledge for local youth while fuelling their dreams and aspirations.” Commenting on the benefits of vocational education, DIMO Academy Chairman Ranjith Pandithage stated: “There must be a shift in societal mind-set that recognises and celebrates alternative career paths like plumbing, mechanics, etc. We require personnel with technical and physical skills that are the basis for all the constructions and repairing we conduct across the country. In Germany, only those with certificates are eligible for work. This must apply to Sri Lanka as well. Not only will quality of services improve, but a rise in vocational training will foster lifelong learning maintaining their competitiveness in the job market. In addition, this will enable them to gain quicker entry into the workforce upon graduation as vocational education takes less time to complete compared to traditional academic routes.” Elaborating on the courses offered by DIMO, DIMO Academy Head said: “DIMO Academy’s diplomas in Automobile Mechatronics and Plant Engineering, certified as category-A qualifications, in Germany make graduates eligible to work as technicians across the globe. DIMO Academy introduced the Diploma in Plant Engineering program to open diverse global career opportunities for young people in the building services industry. DIMO Academy offers a structured industrial training, with updated syllabus through a unique self-learning methodology and German qualified trainers, in its world-class training facilities. It also upholds high standards through a rigorous selection process, continuous assessments, and external audits by German and Sri Lankan bodies. We also highly encourage women to join our programs. The vocational world has evolved to reward brain over muscle and we are offering many STEM scholarships to women as well.” HomeServe Germany CEO Thomas Rebel highlighted the immense progress made by HomeServe since its inception, with € 20 billion being spent on Professional Education and Skills in Home Services Apprenticeships (PESHA). In 2021, HomeServe Germany had 17 companies with around 800 employees and intends to expand further, he asserted. “In Germany, there is a great need for technicians in the building services industry. Being a top provider of building services, we need highly qualified technicians to support our customers. Our HVAC businesses in Germany already have an apprenticeship rate of more than 15% today. Nevertheless, the demand for skilled workers is high and cannot be solely met through education in Germany. The only school outside of Germany to offer a category “A” recognised training program in building services following German vocational criteria is DIMO Academy.PESHA engineers earn approximately Rs. 30 million a year.” Founded in 1993, HomeServe Germany is a part of the HomeServe EMA Group that operates across Europe and Asia, specialising in plumbing, heating and electrical works. In Germany, it concentrates on residential HVAC and plumbing- providing installation, maintenance, and emergency repair services for heating, sanitary, and renewable energy systems. Students enrolling in the 2025 batch for the Diploma in Plant Engineering will be competent to join HomeServe once they successfully complete the course, ensuring a seamless transition to careers in Germany. Interested applicants are urged to send their CVs by January 2025 to
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts is still in the NFL's concussion protocol, forcing the Philadelphia Eagles to play against Dallas without their star quarterback. The Eagles will turn to backup Kenny Pickett on Sunday because Hurts is still dealing with the lingering effects of a concussion suffered against Washington. Hurts was injured early at Washington after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu at the end of another. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said the Eagles would lean on the medical staff on a daily basis to know where Hurts — who threw two touchdown passes and ran for a pair of scores in the first meeting against Dallas in November — was in his recovery from the head injury. The 26-year-old Hurts did not practice this week, leaving Pickett — who suffered a rib injury in relief action against the Commanders — in line for his first start as an Eagle. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards against the Commanders, throwing a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown and an interception. Pickett is from New Jersey and said when he was acquired from Pittsburgh that he had “great memories” of going to games at Lincoln Financial Field with his dad and grandfather since he was 5. The chance to run out of the home team tunnel — which he could get Sunday if he’s the starting QB — left him absolutely delighted. “It's a big opportunity,” Pickett said this week. “I've been working hard to stay ready. I felt like I was in a good position last game with my preparation. Now, having a week to practice, I'll feel even better going into the stadium.” Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers. The Eagles will bump third-stringer Tanner McKee to the backup spot. The Eagles also signed QB Ian Book this week to the practice squad. There has been recent precedent for quarterbacks to play a week after entering the league’s concussion protocol. Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence sustained a head injury while scrambling up the middle on the team’s final drive in Week 15 loss to Baltimore last season. Lawrence misfired on seven of his final eight passes after the hit, a stretch that raised concerns on the sideline about his health. Lawrence reported symptoms after the game. He entered the protocol but was cleared in time to start the next game at Tampa Bay. The Eagles (12-3) could decide to play it safe and rest Hurts with the team needing a win against Dallas or the New York Giants to clinch the NFC East and the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Hurts shook off a sluggish start over the first four games and has thrown 18 touchdowns against just five interceptions to turn the Eagles into Super Bowl contenders. Thanks in large part to the tush push, Hurts has 14 rushing touchdowns this season. The Eagles won the Super Bowl for the 2017 season behind backup QB Nick Foles when starter Carson Wentz went down with a late-season injury. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
NEWS : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has taken numerous year-end actions that will benefit consumers in the coming year. WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU : More money in your pocket, more protection from fraud and scams. Consumers may not realize that when they get a break in their favor, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is behind it. The CFPB was created in 2011, in the wake of the Great Recession, by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. It’s an independent federal agency that exists to make sure consumers are treated fairly, enforcing consumer financial laws and reviewing business practices to make sure they’re on the level and not ripping people off. It has a toll-free hotline and website for consumer complaints and two years ago set up an easy petition process to make it easier for organizations and consumers to petition the government for change (your right under the First Amendment). The CFPB has ended 2024 with a bang, taking action on several issues that will put money in consumer pockets, as well as finding new ways to keep consumers from getting ripped off or scammed. Enjoy it while you can – the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have promised they will curtail the agency’s powers. One of the new administration’s main focuses is to remove regulations and rules for big business, which means consumer wallets will take a beating. That’s a column for next month, though. Today, as 2024 comes to an end, let’s celebrate some of the gifts that the CFPB has given American’s working folks. The CFPB earlier this month announced that it is closing the loophole that allows large banks to charge excessive overdraft fees for account holders, which the agency considers junk fees. Overdraft fees, or NSF (non-sufficient funds) fees, cost American consumers billions a year, and have the most negative impact on low-income and marginalized consumers, who can least afford to lose their bank account or pay the cascading effect of fee upon fee. My first-ever It’s Your Money column, in December 2021 addressed overdraft fees and noted that some banks during the pandemic had quietly lowered or eliminated them. The new rules apply to the biggest banks – those with $10 billion in assets or more. When the agency first started looking at closing the overdraft loophole, it found that Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase accounted for more than $1 billion overdraft revenue reported by banks, one third of what was reported overall. The CFPB has gone after large banks, and continues to, to get them to return illegal overdraft fees to consumers. The agency reported in its December news release that it brought a $95 million enforcement action against Navy Federal Credit Union for illegal surprise overdraft fees. It also took action against Wells Fargo, Regions Bank, and Atlantic Union for illegal overdraft fees – $205 million, $141 million, and $5 million in unlawful fees respectively, the agency said. Banks claim that overdraft fees are the product of a practice that helps customers – the bank allows a payment that would normally be returned to go through. The fee, often $35 or more, is just the cost of doing business. When the bank covers your overdraft, technically its making a loan to you. So, overdraft protection is a very high-interest loan. Most consumers cover the overdraft in three days or less, but still pay that “high interest.” The whole overdraft fee thing started decades ago when people paid their bills using paper checks, which they mailed. Sometimes the checks would take weeks or more to clear the consumer’s bank account, and by then the money may no longer be there to cover it. Those fees didn’t account for much profit for banks back in the 1960s, when the Truth in Lending Law was drafted, so banks successfully lobbied for a loophole that exempted the fees from the rules other financial fees came under. So, unlike loans, the lenders weren’t required to disclose the fee to customers. Now, 50-plus years later, NSF fees are big money for banks. Most banks don’t give an account-holder the choice of overdraft protection (I’m old enough to remember when many did, and charged a fee for it). Once people started using debit cards, financial institutions “began raising fees and using the exemption to churn high volumes of overdraft loans on debit card transactions,” the CFPB said. Enrollment became automatic – it just happened without the customers realizing it. When the CFPB proposed the rule in 2023, it estimated 23 million households pay overdraft fees annually. Since the agency announced its initiative to curb junk fees, it said, many banks have started to reduce or eliminate them. Consumers have saved $6 billion annually because of that, the agency said. “However, even with these changes, consumers still paid more than $5.8 billion in 2023 in reported overdraft and NSF fees.” The new rule, which is scheduled to go into effect Oct. 1 (giving banks 10 months to figure out a plan or the new administration a chance to scuttle it) allows lenders to choose an option: Cap overdraft fees $5, which is the estimated amount most banks can cover costs associated with administering a courtesy overdraft program. Cap the fee at an amount that covers costs and losses “for banks that wish to offer overdraft as a convenient service rather than as a profit center,” the CFPB said. Disclose the terms of their overdraft loan just like other loans. If the lender wants to have a profit-making overdraft service, it must comply with standard requirements governing other loans, like credit cards. Customers must have a choice on whether to open the overdraft credit line, and the bank must provide account-opening disclosures that would allow comparison shopping, send periodic statements, and give the account-holder a choice of whether to pay automatically or manually. The CFPB is part of the White House Competition Council, a group of independent federal agencies and cabinet departments established by President Joe Biden’s 2021 Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. The council includes the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Transportation, which also have taken action on junk fees. The overdraft fee action is part of the CFPB’s effort, as a member of that council, to tackle junk fees in general. Earlier this month, the CFPB returned $1.8 billion to 4.3 million Americans who were ripped off by “credit repair” businesses that charged illegal advance fees or used deceptive bait-and-switch advertising. Companies that engaged in these illegal practices included Lexington Law and CreditRepair.com. The refund constituted the largest-ever distribution from the CFPB’s victims relief fund, which is funded by civil penalties paid by companies that violate consumer protection laws, the agency said. A court ruled in August 2023 that the credit repair conglomerate violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule’s advance fee prohibition, which requires credit repair companies that engage in telemarketing to not collect fees until they provide documentation showing they have achieved the promised results, at least six months after the results were achieved. Following the court’s ruling on the suit, which was filed by the CFPB, the companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, shutting down 80% of their business operations, including their telemarketing call centers, the CFPB said. By the way, here’s tip if you’re looking for help repairing your credit or getting out from under credit debt: Find a nonprofit consumer credit agency. You can find one on the National Federation for Credit Counseling website. One big clue that an agency is a nonprofit is that it will have .org at the end of it’s url, not .com. If you opt for a for-profit debt settlement company, similar to the ones the CFPB came down on, keep an eye on fees, tax implications and the hit that your credit score will take. It’s a good idea to research for-profit debt settlement online before taking that leap. Digital non-bank payment apps like Venmo, Zelle, and GooglePay, have become incredibly popular. It may surprise you to learn that there is very little regulation, and that means a big opening to set you up to be scammed, among other things. The CFPB estimates that the most widely used apps process more than 13 billion consumer payments a year – this includes Apple, Google, Amazon, PayPal, Block, Venmo, and Zelle, among others. In late November, the agency finalized a rule to supervise the largest nonbank companies that offer digital funds transfer and payment wallet apps. The rule means that companies that handle more than 50 million transactions a year must follow the same federal law that applies to large banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions. The rule gives the CFPB authority to enforce financial law with these companies, particularly in these major areas: Privacy and Surveillance . Federal law allows consumers to opt out of certain data collection and sharing practices, and also prohibits misrepresentations about data protection practices. These large companies, which collect vast quantities of data about an individual’s transactions, should provide that option. Errors and Fraud. Consumers have the right, under federal law, to dispute transactions that are incorrect or fraudulent, and financial institutions must investigated such complaints. The agency said that’s particularly concerned “about how digital payment apps can be used to defraud older adults and active duty servicemembers.” It said that the payment apps should manage these issues on their own instead of designing their systems, which many do, to shift disputes to banks, credit unions, and credit card companies. Debanking. Consumers rely on payment apps and “can face serious harms when they lose access to their app without notice or when their ability to make or receive payments is disrupted.” Consumers have reported concerns to the CFPB about disruptions to their lives because of account closures or freezes. The agency’s supervision unit has also created a supervision technology program that assesses, among other things, technology and technology controls and its impact on compliance with federal consumer financial law. You’ve heard that your data is out there. That it’s sold. That bad people may use it for bad purposes. But like many people you may think, “Meh. Me? It just doesn’t seem like something to worry about.” Well, lucky for those who feel that way, the CFPB is still looking out for you. The agency proposed a rule in early December to rein in data brokers that sell sensitive personal and financial information that can be used to target and defraud consumers. The proposed rule would limit the sale of identifiers like Social Security numbers and phone numbers, and would make sure that financial data, like income, is only shared for legitimate purposes (facilitating a mortgage approval, for instance), and not sold to scammers targeting people who are in financial distress. The rule would clarify that when data brokers sell sensitive consumer information they are acting as a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, “which requires them to comply with accuracy requirements, provide consumers access to their information, and maintain safeguards against misuse,” the agency said. The FCRA was enacted in 1970 “to, among other things, strictly limit the use of personal data by a growing data surveillance industry,” the CFPB pointed out in its news release about the proposed rule. It would ensure that the FCRA’s privacy protections protect consumers from technology that wasn’t even dreamed up when that law was enacted. The CFPB developed the proposed rule after “extensive market monitoring that revealed widespread evasion of consumer protections” by data brokers. The brokers claim they aren’t subject to FCRA requirements “even while selling the very types of sensitive personal and financial information Congress intended the law to protect,” the agency said. Data brokers “collect and sell detailed information about Americans’ personal lives and financial circumstances to anyone willing to pay,” the agency said in a news release. The proposal would address “critical threats” data-selling agencies pose, including: National security and surveillance risks . “Countries of concern,” like China and Russia, can buy detailed personal information about military service members, veterans, government employees, and other Americans for pennies per person, the CFPB said. “This enables the creation of detailed dossiers for potential espionage, surveillance, or blackmail operations, allowing relatively small investments to be leveraged into mass surveillance operations.” Criminal exploitation. Identity thieves and scammers buy financial profiles to target vulnerable consumers, particularly seniors and people who are in financial distress. The information is used to run fraud schemes and steal retirement savings, “often targeting Americans who can least afford the losses.” Violence, stalking, and personal safety threats to law enforcement personnel and domestic violence survivors: Dangerous people who target judges, law enforcement officers, government employees, domestic abuse survivors, or individuals in an unpopular profession can use contact information to stalk, threaten and harm. Perpetrators can buy current contact information in order to do that. To address these risks, under the rule: Any company that sells data about income or financial tier, credit history, credit score, or debt payments would be considered a consumer reporting agency required to comply with the FCRA, regardless of how the information is used. When consumer reporting agencies collect information like names, addresses, or ages for credit reports, any sale of that information would be covered by the FCRA’s protections. Companies relying on consumers’ consent to obtain or share a consumer’s credit report would need separate, explicit authorization to do so from the consumer, rather than burying permissions in fine print. “These changes would significantly limit the ability of data brokers to sell sensitive contact information that could be used to target, harass, or dox individuals seeking privacy protection, including domestic violence survivors,” the agency said. The proposed rule would preserve pathways created by the FCRA for government agencies to access consumer report information for legitimate law enforcement, counterterrorism, and counterintelligence purposes, it said. The proposed rule is part of a broader government-wide initiative to protect Americans’ sensitive personal data, complementing recent Executive Orders and actions by other federal agencies, CFPB said. In October, the Department of Justice proposed a rule to prevent access to Americans’ sensitive personal data by Russia, Iran, China, and other countries of concern. The rule hasn’t gone into effect yet – it goes through a public comment period, which ends in March, then is reviewed by several panels and agencies, before it becomes final, likely a year or so from now. It would likely be enacted in 2026. That means it’s still up to you to protect your data as best as you can. The CFPB earlier this month launched rulemaking to address the harmful effects of inaccurate credit reporting that negatively affects survivors of domestic, elder and other financial abuse. “People trapped by domestic abuse must often sign documents under the threat of violence, ruining their financial lives and making it even more difficult to escape,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a news release. “Expanding identity theft protections could help survivors rebuild their financial lives and would ensure that our credit reporting system is not used as a tool for domestic and elder abuse.” I wrote in April 2022 about financial abuse as a major, but unrecognized, factor in domestic abuse. The CFPB is on board, too. “Abusers often use coerced debt as a tool of control, forcing their partner or other family members to take out credit cards or loans through threats, physical violence, or manipulation,” the release said. “They may secretly open accounts in survivors’ names, force them to sign financial documents, or run up charges on existing accounts.” This type of financial abuse “creates substantial, long-lasting harm for survivors,” the agency said. Nearly three-quarters of domestic violence survivors report staying in abusive relationships longer in part because of coerced debt. “The impact falls particularly hard on women of color, who face higher rates of financial abuse resulting in nearly double the average debt burden,” the CFPB said. Once the debt is removed from survivors’ credit reports, credit scores for one-third improve by 20 points or more, enough to qualify for better rates on loans, the agency said. The agency seeks public comment on: The prevalence and extent of harm to people with coerced debt, including through the credit reporting system. Evidence regarding the relevance of coerced debt to a survivor’s credit risk. Barriers to accessing existing protection under federal or state law for survivors of economic abuse. Challenges resulting from coerced debt facing specific populations including survivors of intimate partner violence and gender-based violence, older Americans, and children in foster care. Potential documentation or self-attestation requirements for showing that a person’s debt was coerced. The rulemaking was in response to a petition submitted by the National Consumer Law Center and the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice. The agency established a petition process in 2022 “to help Americans exercise the constitutional rights to petition the government,” it said. “The new protocols ensure that there is an easy and transparent way to request action.” The deadline for submitting comments on the advance notice is March 7. It’s not the first time the agency has tackled abuse and its relation to credit. In 2022, the CFPB finalized a rule that prohibits credit bureaus from providing reports that contain negative information about human trafficking survivors when the information resulted from the trafficking. The CFPB is also working on identifying potential violations of these rules, it said. We’ll keep you updated on what goes on with these new rules and proposed ones. Banks and other financial institutions have fought hard against the agency’s junk fee rules and the Trump administration has promised “significant changes” to curtail the CFPB’s power. The Washington Post reported in November that Trump’s transition team is looking for candidates to lead the agency – likely pro-business and banking ones – and would also scale back its oversight. The agency is funded by the Federal Reserve, unlike most federal agencies, which are funded by Congress. It was done this way in order to keep its rule-making and enforcement independent of the political process. The law governing the CFPB sets a cap for its budget, which is adjusted for cost of living. The U.S. Supreme Court in May voted 7-2 that the funding method is constitutional after two trade associations representing payday (high-interest) lenders challenged it. In June, after the Supreme Court ruling, a group of Republican senators introduced the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Accountability Act, which would shift funding the agency to Congress. That bill didn’t pass, but is likely to come up again now that the Senate will and House will both have a Republican majority. The Trump administration and congressional Republicans campaigned on promises to reduce regulations on business. They are under increasing pressure from banks and other money-driven businesses and institutions to roll back rules that keep them from making higher profits, and have indicated they support that, too. You can reach Maureen Milliken at mmilliken@manchesterinklink.com We don’t spam! You're on the list! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.