In the US, consumers can freeze their credit worthiness records and receive a code. When the records are frozen, the only orgs that can access the records are those already doing business with the consumer. If a consumer wants to open up a new account, they share the code with the prospective creditor who uses it to see the credit report.
So the question is, how are access controls on credit histories done in various EU nations? Do any use unlock codes like the US, or is it all trust based?
Indeed that’s what I’m talking about. In Belgium it seems consumers have no control over whether a creditor can access the central bank’s records. Apparently the central bank simply trusts that creditors are checking records in response to an application for credit. I would like to know if any EU countries make use of an access code so consumers can control which creditors can see their records.
In the Netherlands, you need to give permission for someone to check yours, and only credit-providers are allowed to check. I can’t look at my neighbor’s credit data.