Identifier Redactions On Public Records

Growing privacy concerns have led to some changes in the way criminal background checks can be carried out.

Here is what you need to know about identifier redactions on public records and how they might affect you.

New Laws About the Redaction of Records

Recently, advocacy for consumer privacy has been on the rise. As a result, many businesses now limit the extent to which third parties can access personal data. And in a number of states, the courts are following suit, instituting limits on who can access personal identifiers, and what kind of information they can access.

As one example, several counties in California now restrict the public from accessing anyone’s date of birth (DOB) unless they do so in person at the courthouse with the assistance of a clerk. They are banned from accessing this information online or via public access terminals. And in Michigan, a law took effect in 2022 mandating the redaction of all DOBs from court records. And a few courts in Virginia compromise by using only partial DOBs which might omit the year, the day, and/or the month.

Although the desire to protect privacy is admirable, it does complicate the task of conducting background checks on current and prospective employees.

How These Laws Affect Employers

Third-party companies like Veriswift must be able to match a criminal record accurately with the right person in order to complete a background check properly.

But this task is much more complicated when courts redact essential identifiers like financial account information, birthdates and driver’s license numbers from the public records that companies can access.

While this relieves anxiety about identity theft, it also poses a monumental challenge to employers and background check companies who may be left to sort through the records of multiple individuals with the same name to determine which one matches a particular record.

To try to meet this need, some jurisdictions provide a special online tool such as the Michigan State Police ICHAT database. However, these are limited, since they may leave out records which individual counties have not reported.

How Veriswift Can Help

With these changes in the legal landscape, you need a background check service that is flexible and adaptive enough to roll with the punches. At Veriswift, we have the detailed industry expertise, the cutting-edge technology and the professional connections that are necessary to adapt to new restrictions without sacrificing accuracy or thoroughness.

In addition, we always keep up-to-date with the newest changes which might affect the background check process. We pride ourselves on providing you with the information you need to make good decisions about hiring and retaining employees.

While the redaction of identifiers on public records does pose a challenge, it’s a challenge you can handle, with the help of Veriswift.