Canadian Supreme Court Orders TransUnion to Delete Old Data

The British Columbia Supreme Court in Canada has ruled that TransUnion can’t keep consumer credit data such as late payments on its records for more than six years.

Based on complaints from consumers, Consumer Protection B.C., which enforces consumer protection laws in B.C., asked TransUnion to stop the practice.

Manjit Bains, vice president of corporate relations for Consumer Protection, said the policy violated provincial law and was detrimental to consumers - often preventing them from obtaining further credit.

TransUnion previously suggested inquiries concerning issues older than six years were "substantiated facts it felt obliged to report," reported the Toronto Globe & Mail. But when Consumer Protection responded with a compliance notice, TransUnion sought a review of that order, leading to an earlier court action.

Last week, the B.C. Supreme Court ruled against TransUnion and released the decision on Monday. Justice Keith Bracken ruled that the order against TransUnion was reasonable. “TransUnion was not subjected to any procedural unfairness,” he wrote in his ruling.

TransUnion officials did not comment on the ruling.

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