EPIC Raises Privacy Issues in Response to Reed Elsevier Acquisition of ChoicePoint

Press release: “Reed Elsevier to acquire ChoicePoint for a total cost of $4.1 billion (£2.1 billion/2.8 billion) payable in cash. This comprises an equity value of $3.5 billion and the assumption of $0.6 billion of net debt. Combination of ChoicePoint with the LexisNexis Risk Information and Analytics Group will create a risk management business with $1.5 billion in revenues and a leading position in the fast growing risk management marketplace…ChoicePoint has a leading position in providing unique data and analytics to the attractive insurance sector (over 50% of Choicepoint’s $982 million revenue and 80% of its business operating income from continuing operations in 2007) and highly complementary products and new capabilities in the screening, authentication and public records areas.”

EPIC: “Reed-Elsevier, corporate parents of Lexis-Nexis, has made a move to acquire Choicepoint, the databroker. Consumer privacy will be seriously affected if the merger is approved without any privacy safeguards. The previous Google-Doubleclick merger involving two large databases of personal information similarly raised privacy as well as antitrust issues. Choicepoint is a large player in the commercial databroker market and has been the target of an EPIC privacy complaint and an FTC investigation and fine for the privacy harms its business practices cause. For more see EPIC’s page on Choicepoint.”

EPIC Raises Privacy Issues in Response to Reed Elsevier Acquisition of ChoicePoint

Thank you!