Research and Privacy

People are often surprised by what information we can and can't find, and by who can actually receive it. Two people can ask for what looks like the same thing and get very different answers. Most of the time, the answer depends on privacy laws and the reason for the request.

Purpose of the Request

Most people who come to us have a real and understandable reason for wanting information. But much of what we work with is protected, and the law allows it to be used only for certain purposes. So before we run many kinds of searches, we need to be able to show a legitimate basis for the request. That basis decides both what we can find and what can be done with it afterward.

That responsibility is ours, so we take the reason seriously and we check it. We would rather ask a few more questions at the start than gather something that shouldn't have been gathered. When a request doesn't have a proper basis, we'll tell you, and we'll explain why. And we won't certify a false reason to obtain protected information. That puts the person asking at real legal risk, and it isn't how we work.

The Main Laws

The Driver's Privacy Protection Act protects the personal information tied to motor vehicle records. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act protects the private financial information held by banks and similar institutions, and it makes getting that information through deception, known as pretexting, illegal. The Fair Credit Reporting Act covers information used for things like employment, credit, housing, and insurance, which follow their own separate set of rules. All three govern how the information can be used and who it can be given to, not only how it's collected.

Access and Disclosure

These rules limit what we can obtain, and they limit what we can share and with whom. Something that can lawfully be gathered for one purpose can't always be passed along for another. So we're careful about where results go, and we send them only where the law and your engagement allow.

Attorney and Individual Requests

An attorney can often receive information that an individual asking for something similar cannot. Some purposes are tied to a legal proceeding or to the role of counsel, and that changes what becomes available and what can be released. That line is set by the law. It isn't a judgment about the person or their reasons. When you work through an attorney, more is often possible, and the results are protected as attorney work product.

Surveillance and Field Work

These limits aren't only about databases and records. They apply to surveillance and field work as well. We develop information about where someone is, what they're doing, or who they're with only where there's a legitimate basis for it. We handle and share it under the same rules.

Sources and Methods

For some information, we work through specialized providers that operate under these same privacy laws. They require us to be vetted, and to certify a legitimate use for each search at the moment we run it, with that access monitored and audited. It's one more reason we ask what a request is for before we begin.

Practical Effect

We don't obtain information through pretexting or other prohibited means, and we don't release information except as the law and our engagement allow. When we can't do something the way it was asked, we'll tell you why. Where there's a lawful way to get you what you actually need, we'll point you there.

Questions About Your Situation

Reach out by phone, email, or the contact form. Consultations are always free.