View source for Experian

{{Short description|Irish multinational consumer credit reporting company}}
{{distinguish|Sony Xperia{{!}}Xperia|Xperi}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Experian plc
| logo = [[File:Experian logo.svg|220px]]
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{LSE|EXPN}}<br>[[FTSE 100 Index|FTSE 100 Component]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|1996}}
| location = [[Dublin]], Ireland<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feisst |first=Melanie |date=2006-07-27 |title=Ireland has the edge, says expansive GUS |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2944305/Ireland-has-the-edge-says-expansive-GUS.html |url-status=live |access-date=2016-07-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928130756/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2944305/Ireland-has-the-edge-says-expansive-GUS.html |archive-date=28 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Experian {{!}} Company Profile {{!}} Office Locations |url=http://www.experian.com/corporate/experian-locations.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817044150/http://www.experian.com/corporate/experian-locations.html |archive-date=17 August 2016 |access-date=2016-07-25}}</ref>
| locations = {{collapsible list|
 | [[Costa Mesa]], [[California]], United States
 | [[Nottingham]], England, United Kingdom
 | [[São Paulo]], Brazil
 | [[Hamburg]], Germany
 | [[Singapore]]
 | [[Hyderabad]], India
}}
| key_people = {{ubl|{{wd-chairperson}}|{{wd-ceo}}}}
| industry = Business services
| revenue = {{increase}} [[US$]]7.097 billion ([[Fiscal Year|FY]]2024)<ref name=results>{{Cite web |title=Annual Results 2024 |url=https://www.experianplc.com/content/dam/marketing/global/plc/en/assets/documents/reports/2024/experian_annual_report_2024_web.pdf|publisher=Experian |access-date=8 February 2025}}</ref>
| operating_income = {{increase}} US$1.928 billion (FY2024)<ref name=results/>
| net_income = {{increase}} US$1.203 billion (FY2024)<ref name=results/>
| assets = {{increase}} US$11.712 billion (FY2024)<ref name=results/>
| equity = {{increase}} US$4.669 billion (FY2024)<ref name=results/>
| num_employees = 21,700 (2025)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Profile |url=https://www.experian.com/corporate/experian-profile |access-date=8 February 2025 |publisher=Experian}}</ref>
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.experian.com}}
| predecessors =  [[TRW Inc.]] (1968–1996)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dyer |first=Davis |title=TRW: Pioneering Technology and Innovation since 1900 |date=1998 |publisher=[[Harvard Business School Press]] |isbn=0-87584-606-8 |location=Boston |pages=279, 309, 390}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Marthews |first1=Alex |last2=Tucker |first2=Catherine |author-link2=Catherine Tucker |date=5 December 2019 |title=Privacy policy and competition |url=https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ES-12.07.19-Marthews-Tucker.pdf |access-date=29 January 2021 |publisher=[[Brookings Institution]] |page=13 |archive-date=10 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010195424/https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ES-12.07.19-Marthews-Tucker.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><br/>[[GUS plc]] (1996–2006)
}}

'''Experian plc''' is a [[multinational corporation|multinational]] [[data broker]] and consumer [[credit reporting]] company headquartered in [[Dublin]], Ireland. It is listed on the [[London Stock Exchange]] and is a constituent of the [[FTSE 100 Index]]. Experian is a partner in [[United States Postal Service|USPS]] address validation. It is one of the "Big Three" alongside [[TransUnion]] and [[Equifax]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=<!--no byline--> |date=14 September 2017 |title=How to protect yourself against the theft of your identity |url=https://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21728955-top-tip-keep-eye-your-bank-and-credit-card-statements-how-protect |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914223158/https://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21728955-top-tip-keep-eye-your-bank-and-credit-card-statements-how-protect |archive-date=14 September 2017 |access-date=15 September 2017 |newspaper=[[The Economist]]}}</ref><!-- Archived article provides full text access. -->

In addition to its credit services, Experian also sells decision analytic and marketing assistance to businesses, including individual fingerprinting and targeting.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ingram |first=David |last2=Fioretti |first2=Julia |date=26 March 2018 |title=Facebook cuts ties to data brokers in blow to targeted ads |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-facebook-privacy/facebook-cuts-ties-to-data-brokers-in-blow-to-targeted-ads-idUKKBN1H41LZ?il=0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125035404/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-facebook-privacy/facebook-cuts-ties-to-data-brokers-in-blow-to-targeted-ads-idUKKBN1H41LZ?edition-redirect=uk |archive-date=25 January 2022 |access-date=2018-03-29 |work= |edition=U.K. |agency=Reuters}}</ref> Like all credit reporting agencies, the company is required by U.S. law to provide consumers with one free credit report every year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 September 2025<!--from page source, meta property="og:updated_time"--> |title=Free Credit Reports |url=https://consumer.ftc.gov/free-credit-reports |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250912170419/https://consumer.ftc.gov/free-credit-reports |archive-date=12 September 2025 |access-date=17 September 2025 |work=Consumer Advice |publisher=[[Federal Trade Commission]] |at=How To Get Your Free Annual Credit Reports}}</ref>

==History==
The company has its origins in Credit Data Corporation, a business which was acquired by [[TRW Inc.]] in 1968, and subsequently renamed TRW Information Services.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dyer |first=Davis |title=TRW: Pioneering Technology and Innovation since 1900 |date=1998 |publisher=[[Harvard Business School Press]] |isbn=0-87584-606-8 |location=Boston |pages=279, 309, 390}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Marthews |first1=Alex |last2=Tucker |first2=Catherine |author-link2=Catherine Tucker |date=5 December 2019 |title=Privacy policy and competition |url=https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ES-12.07.19-Marthews-Tucker.pdf |access-date=29 January 2021 |publisher=[[Brookings Institution]] |page=13 |archive-date=10 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010195424/https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ES-12.07.19-Marthews-Tucker.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

In November 1996, TRW sold the unit, as Experian, to [[Bain Capital]] and [[Thomas H. Lee Partners]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=<!--no byline--> |date=15 November 1996 |title=Experian Investors Reap Substantial Returns |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-15-fi-64791-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731033058/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-15-fi-64791-story.html |archive-date=31 July 2020 |access-date=17 September 2025 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> Just one month later, the two firms sold Experian to The Great Universal Stores Limited in [[Manchester]], England,<ref name=":0" /> a retail conglomerate with millions of customers paying for goods on credit (later renamed [[GUS (retailer)|GUS]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cope |first=Nigel |date=15 November 1996 |title=GUS shares soar on pounds 1bn acquisition |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/gus-shares-soar-on-pounds-1bn-acquisition-1352446.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126043005/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/gus-shares-soar-on-pounds-1bn-acquisition-1352446.html |archive-date=26 January 2012 |access-date=4 March 2018 |work=[[The Independent]] |publication-place=London}}</ref> GUS merged its own credit-information business, CCN, which at the time was the largest credit-service company in the UK, into Experian.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 November 1996 |title=Large British Retailer to buy US credit data company |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501E2DF173AF936A25752C1A960958260 |url-status=live |access-date=18 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202130822/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501E2DF173AF936A25752C1A960958260 |archive-date=2 February 2009}}</ref>

In October 2006, Experian was [[demerger|demerged]] from GUS and listed on the [[London Stock Exchange]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Stock Exchange company profile |url=http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-news/stocks/summary/company-summary.html?fourWayKey=GB00B19NLV48JEGBXSET1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711085548/http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-news/stocks/summary/company-summary.html?fourWayKey=GB00B19NLV48JEGBXSET1 |archive-date=11 July 2009 |access-date=17 July 2009 |publisher=[[London Stock Exchange]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gupta |first=Rohit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l7R9DwAAQBAJ |title=Reward and Donation Crowdfunding: A Complete Guide for Emerging Startups |date=2018-12-06 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-68466-089-6|access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801113948/https://books.google.com/books?id=l7R9DwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2005, Experian accepted a settlement with the [[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) over charges that Experian had violated a previous settlement with the FTC. The FTC alleged that ads for the "free credit report" did not adequately disclose that Experian customers would automatically be enrolled in Experian's $79.95 credit-monitoring program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Consumerinfo.com Settles FTC Charges |url=http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/02/cic.shtm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606164830/http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/02/cic.shtm |archive-date=6 June 2010 |access-date=15 July 2010 |publisher=[[Federal Trade Commission]]}}</ref><ref group="Note">Quotation marks around "free credit report" are part of FTC press release.</ref>

In January 2008, Experian announced that it would cut more than 200 jobs at its Nottingham office.<ref>[http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/01/28/229127/experian-to-cut-200-it-jobs.htm Experian to cut 200 jobs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130160605/http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/01/28/229127/experian-to-cut-200-it-jobs.htm |date=30 January 2008}} ''Computer Weekly''. Retrieved 3 March 2008.</ref>

Experian shut down its Canadian operations on 14 April 2009.<ref>[http://www.experian.ca Experian Canada] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210143411/http://www.experian.ca/ |date=10 December 2016}}. Retrieved on 25 March 2009</ref>

In March 2017, the [[Consumer Financial Protection Bureau|U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]] fined Experian $3 million for providing invalid credit scores to consumers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Koren |first=James Rufus |date=2017-03-23 |title=Credit bureau Experian fined $3 million over misleading credit scores |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cfpb-experian-scores-20170323-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=2017-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325035424/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cfpb-experian-scores-20170323-story.html |archive-date=25 March 2017}}</ref>

In October 2017, Experian acquired Clarity Services, a [[credit bureau]] specialising in alternative consumer data.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-19 |title=After acquiring Clarity Services, Experian launches alternative-data-driven solution |url=https://www.autoremarketing.com/financial-services/experian-acquires-clarity-services-launches-alternative-data-driven-solution |access-date=2020-05-21 |website=Auto Remarketing|archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044619/https://www.autoremarketing.com/financial-services/experian-acquires-clarity-services-launches-alternative-data-driven-solution |url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2024, Experian agreed to acquire Brazilian digital fraud prevention provider [[ClearSale]] for $350 million.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/experian-buy-brazils-clearsale-377-million-report-says-2024-10-04/ |title=Experian buys Brazilian cyber security firm ClearSale in $350 million deal |date=4 October 2024 |publisher=Reuters}}</ref>

In October 2025, Experian shut down its Dutch operations after receiving a €2.7 million fine from the Dutch Data Protection Authority for illegally processing credit reference data on Dutch consumers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2586754-bedrijf-stopt-met-maken-van-kredietscores-van-consumenten-na-miljoenenboete |title=Bedrijf stopt met maken van kredietscores van consumenten na miljoenenboete|date=17 October 2025 |publisher=NOS}}</ref>

==Operations==
In the United States, like the other major credit reporting bureaus, Experian is chiefly regulated by the [[Fair Credit Reporting Act]] (FCRA). The [[Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act]] of 2003, signed into law in 2003, amended the FCRA to require the credit reporting companies to provide consumers with one free copy of their credit report per 12-month period. Like its main competitors, [[TransUnion]] and [[Equifax]], Experian markets [[credit report]]s directly to consumers. Experian heavily markets its for-profit credit reporting service, [[FreeCreditReport.com]], and all three agencies have been criticised and even sued for selling credit reports that can be obtained at no cost.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Bob |date=10 May 2005 |title=Many free credit reports still aren't free |publisher=[[NBC News]] |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7803368 |access-date=29 October 2006 |archive-date=23 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423102047/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7803368/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Experian, Consumerinfo.com Named in Class Action Suit |url=http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/experian_class_action.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061102191439/http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/experian_class_action.html |archive-date=2 November 2006 |access-date=29 October 2006 |website=ConsumerAffairs.com}}</ref>

Its market segmentation tool, [[Mosaic (geodemography)|Mosaic]], is used by political parties to identify groups of voters. In the British version there are 15 main groups, broken down into 89 hyperspecific categories, from "corporate chieftains" to "golden empty-nesters" which can be taken down to the level of individual [[postcodes]]. It was first used by the Labour Party, but then taken up by the Conservatives in the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 General Election]] campaign.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 November 2013 |title=Tories identify eight groups of voters as Labour look to Obama campaign for inspiration: The sophisticated tools that rivals hope will win them 2015 election revealed |work=The Independent|location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-identify-eight-groups-of-voters-as-labour-look-to-obama-campaign-for-inspiration-the-8925374.html |url-status=live |access-date=1 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104001019/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-identify-eight-groups-of-voters-as-labour-look-to-obama-campaign-for-inspiration-the-8925374.html |archive-date=4 November 2016}}</ref>

==Sales to identity thieves==
In 2013 a Vietnamese national, [[Hieu Minh Ngo]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 October 2013 |title=Vietnamese National Charged in Widespread International Scheme to Steal and Sell Hundreds of Thousands of U.s. Persons' Personally Identifiable Information |url=https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/vietnamese-national-charged-widespread-international-scheme-steal-and-sell-hundreds-thousands |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306154250/https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/vietnamese-national-charged-widespread-international-scheme-steal-and-sell-hundreds-thousands |archive-date=6 March 2016 |access-date=25 March 2016}}</ref> was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with attempting to sell personally identifiable information on hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents. This information had been allegedly purchased from Experian subsidiary and data aggregator Court Ventures. However, Ngo testified under oath that the information he had sold to identity thieves had actually been acquired from another hacker based in Russia, and not Experian or Court Ventures. Ngo then resold the information he acquired from the Russian hacker through the [[identity fraud]] enabling websites Superget.info and Findget.me.<ref name="infoweek1">{{Cite news |last=Schwartz |first=Mathew |date=21 October 2013 |title=Experian Sold Data To Vietnamese ID Theft Ring |work=[[InformationWeek]] |publisher=UBM Tech |url=http://www.informationweek.com/security/attacks/experian-sold-data-to-vietnamese-id-thef/240162911 |url-status=live |access-date=22 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021183336/http://www.informationweek.com/security/attacks/experian-sold-data-to-vietnamese-id-thef/240162911 |archive-date=21 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="zdnet">{{Cite news |last=Seltzer |first=Larry |date=21 October 2013 |title=Experian caught up in ID theft investigation |work=[[ZDNet]] |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/experian-caught-up-in-id-theft-investigation/ |url-status=live |access-date=22 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021184826/http://www.zdnet.com/experian-caught-up-in-id-theft-investigation-7000022199/ |archive-date=21 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="techdirt1">{{Cite news |last=Masnick |first=Mike |date=21 October 2013 |title=How Experian Sold Consumer Data To Popular ID Theft Service |work=[[Techdirt]] |publisher=Floor64, Inc. |url=http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131021/10565524945/how-experian-sold-consumer-data-to-popular-id-theft-service.shtml |url-status=live |access-date=22 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021205215/http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131021/10565524945/how-experian-sold-consumer-data-to-popular-id-theft-service.shtml |archive-date=21 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="boing1">{{Cite news |last=Doctorow |first=Cory |date=21 October 2013 |title=Experian sold consumer data to identity thieves' service |work=[[Boing Boing]] |url=http://boingboing.net/2013/10/21/experian-sold-consumer-data-to.html |url-status=live |access-date=22 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024075833/http://boingboing.net/2013/10/21/experian-sold-consumer-data-to.html |archive-date=24 October 2013}}</ref><ref name="krebsec1">{{Cite web |last=Krebs |first=Brian |date=20 October 2013 |title=Experian Sold Consumer Data to ID Theft Service |url=http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/10/experian-sold-consumer-data-to-id-theft-service/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022090922/http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/10/experian-sold-consumer-data-to-id-theft-service/ |archive-date=22 October 2013 |access-date=22 October 2013 |website=krebsonsecurity.com}}</ref> The information offered for anonymous sale on these websites included individual's name, address, [[Social Security number]], date of birth, place of work, duration of work, state driver's licence number, mother's maiden name, [[Bank account|bank account number]](s), [[ABA routing transit number|bank routing number]](s), [[email account]](s) and other account passwords.<ref name=krebsec1 />

==Data breaches==

=== 2015 ===
[[File:2015-10-05 experian-letter-redacted.jpg|thumb|upright|Letter from Experian North America CEO, Craig Boundy, informing T{{Non breaking hyphen}}Mobile customer their [[personal information]] was compromised in Experian server hack.]]
On 1 October 2015 Experian announced that they had discovered a [[data breach]] existing between 1 September 2013 and 16 September 2015. As many as 15 million people who used the company's services, among them customers of American cellular company [[T-Mobile US|T-Mobile]] who had applied for Experian credit checks, may have had their [[private information]] exposed.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thielman |first=Sam |date=2 October 2015 |title=Experian hack exposes 15 million people's personal information |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/01/experian-hack-t-mobile-credit-checks-personal-information |url-status=live |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201120620/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/01/experian-hack-t-mobile-credit-checks-personal-information |archive-date=1 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Experian Breach Affects 15 Million Consumers |date=5 October 2015 |url=https://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/10/experian-breach-affects-15-million-consumers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916120259/https://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/10/experian-breach-affects-15-million-consumers/ |archive-date=16 September 2017 |access-date=2017-09-23 |publisher=Krebs on Security}}</ref>

=== 2020 ===
In 2020 it was revealed that Experian had suffered a further data breach, on this occasion in South Africa.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Experian Data Breach |work=SABRIC |url=https://www.sabric.co.za/media-and-news/press-releases/experian-data-breach |access-date=2020-10-29 |archive-date=31 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031153817/https://www.sabric.co.za/media-and-news/press-releases/experian-data-breach |url-status=live}}</ref> Initially, Experian claimed that the incident had been contained<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shange |first=Naledi |date=2020-08-20 |title=How Experian was duped into handing over data on 24 million South Africans |work=TimesLIVE |location=South Africa |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-08-20-how-experian-was-duped-into-handing-over-data-on-24-million-south-africans |access-date=2020-10-29 |archive-date=31 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031153917/https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-08-20-how-experian-was-duped-into-handing-over-data-on-24-million-south-africans/ |url-status=live}}</ref> but subsequently this was shown to be untrue. Data on 24 million South Africans was leaked, as well as on nearly 800,000 businesses. Of these, 24,838 had financial details leaked.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hosken |first=Graeme |date=2020-09-13 |title=Data from huge Experian breach found on the internet |work=The Sunday Times |location=South Africa |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2020-09-13-data-from-huge-experian-breach-found-on-the-internet |access-date=2020-10-29 |archive-date=31 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031153850/https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/news/2020-09-13-data-from-huge-experian-breach-found-on-the-internet/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2021 ===
In January 2021 a new leak was revealed in Brazil, with the source being linked to Experian's Brazilian subsidiary Serasa Experian. The breach resulted in data of 220 million citizens (including some already dead) being sold in the web. This is probably the most severe data breach in history, as it includes names, social security numbers, income tax declaration forms, addresses and other private information on nearly all Brazilian citizens.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The largest personal data leakage in Brazilian history |work=OpenDemocracy.net |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/largest-personal-data-leakage-brazilian-history |access-date=2021-02-22 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224140707/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/largest-personal-data-leakage-brazilian-history/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Experian claims there's no evidence that its systems have been compromised, but this lack of evidence doesn't explain it being the only probable source for the data. According to a Brazilian consumer rights foundation, the company has not been handling the breach appropriately.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Experian Challenged Over Massive Data Leak in Brazil |work=ZDNET |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/experian-challenged-over-massive-data-leak-in-brazil/ |access-date=2021-02-22 |archive-date=22 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222132857/https://www.zdnet.com/article/experian-challenged-over-massive-data-leak-in-brazil/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2022 ===

In late 2022 a flaw was revealed in Experian's website which allowed access to individual credit reports without full authentication, simply by changing the last part of the URL being requested from "/acr/oow/" to "/acr/report".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Krebs |first1=Brian |author1-link=Brian Krebs |title=Identity Thieves Bypassed Experian Security to View Credit Reports |url=https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/01/identity-thieves-bypassed-experian-security-to-view-credit-reports/ |website=Krebs on Security |date=10 January 2023 |access-date=16 November 2024}}</ref> The flaw was fixed in early 2023, but it was not known how much data had been stolen through this security weakness.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Guide to Building Secure Web Applications/Preventing Common Problems/Parameter Manipulation |url=https://www.cgisecurity.com/owasp/html/ch11s04.html |website=CGIsecurity |access-date=16 November 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250716115359/https://www.cgisecurity.com/owasp/html/ch11s04.html |archive-date=16 July 2025 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Compuscan]]
* [[Credit bureau]]
* [[Intelliscore]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group="Note"}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.experian.com}}
* {{OpenCorp|Experian}}

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[[Category:Companies in the S&P Europe 350 Dividend Aristocrats]]
[[Category:Companies of the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Credit scoring]]
[[Category:Data brokers]]
[[Category:Data companies]]
[[Category:Data quality companies]]
[[Category:Market research companies of Ireland]]
[[Category:TRW Inc.]]
[[Category:Multinational companies headquartered in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Tax inversions]]