When the “trigger leads” law went into effect on March 5, it marked a watershed moment for consumer advocacy groups that had spent years fighting to restrict credit bureaus from selling consumers’ data without their permission.
A new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), delivered Tuesday to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives committees, examines how the restrictions may be helping curb unwanted mortgage solicitations while preserving consumers’ ability to comparison shop.
Under the trigger leads law, credit bureaus can no longer provide a homebuyer’s contact and credit information to lenders and brokers that do not have an existing relationship with the consumer. The GAO’s survey said that under the old system, n...