Federal Register/Vol. 80, No. 56/Tuesday, March 24, 2015/Notices

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Federal Register/Vol. 80, No. 56/Tuesday, March 24, 2015/Notices Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 56 / Tuesday, March 24, 2015 / Notices 15583 Database where consent for publication financial domain, e.g., credit card BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL is first obtained from the consumer. numbers; and (3) identifiers which the PROTECTION Only those narratives for which opt-in Bureau knows appear in complaints and [Docket No. CFPB–2015–0013] consumer consent is obtained and a could reasonably be used to identify robust personal information scrubbing individuals, e.g., personal information Request for Information Regarding the standard and methodology is applied pertaining to third parties other than the Consumer Complaint Database will be eligible for disclosure. company that is the subject of the complaint. All consumer complaint data AGENCY: Consumer Financial Protection B. Consumer Consent To Disclose Bureau. Narratives shared via the Consumer Complaint Database will be subject to this standard ACTION: Notice and request for The Bureau intends to disclose only and methodology, including, e.g., ZIP information. narratives for which informed consent code. The Bureau plans to make this SUMMARY: has been obtained and that have been scrubbing standard available on the The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (the ‘‘Bureau’’) is scrubbed for personal information. To Bureau’s Web site. The scrubbing issuing a Notice and Request for obtain informed consumer consent, the methodology contemplates a computer- Information (‘‘RFI’’) to solicit and Bureau plans to give consumers who based automated step and a quality collect input from the public on the submit a complaint the opportunity to assurance step or steps performed by potential collection and sharing of check a consent box, with human reviewers. accompanying language that will state, consumer compliments about providers among other things, and in plain D. Company Response of consumer financial products and language, that: (1) Whether or not The Bureau plans to give companies services and more information about a consent is given will not otherwise the opportunity to respond publicly to company’s complaint handling. impact how the Bureau handles the the substance of the consumer DATES: Submit comments on or before complaint; (2) if given, the consumer complaints they receive from the May 26, 2015. may thereafter inform the Bureau that Bureau. Within the secure web portal ADDRESSES: You may submit responsive the consumer withdraws consent at any companies use to respond to information and other comments, time and the narrative will be removed complaints, the Bureau intends to add a identified by Docket No. CFPB–2015– from the Consumer Complaint Database; set list of structured company response 0013, by any of the following methods: • and (3) the Bureau will take reasonable options; a responding company will be Electronic: http:// steps to remove personal information given an opportunity to recommend to www.regulations.gov. Follow the from the complaint to address risk of re- instructions for submitting comments. the Bureau which option, if any, it • identification. would like included as a public-facing Mail: Monica Jackson, Office of the Executive Secretary, Consumer C. Personal Information Scrubbing response to address the substance of the Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Standard and Methodology consumer’s complaint. Companies will be under no obligation to avail Street NW., Washington, DC 20552. Sharing data containing personal • Hand Delivery/Courier: Monica themselves of this opportunity. information presents a tension between Jackson, Office of the Executive data utility and individual privacy. As E. Continuous Improvement Secretary, Consumer Financial a particular personal information The Bureau plans to implement a Protection Bureau, 1275 First Street NE., scrubbing standard becomes more or testing and continuous improvement Washington, DC 20002. less stringent, the utility of a given de- process to ensure that as applied, the Instructions: The Bureau encourages identified dataset may become Bureau’s standard and methodology for the early submission of comments. All respectively less or more useful. scrubbing personal information submissions must include the document Within its judgment and discretion, adequately protects consumers. The title and docket number. Because paper and in order to address the risk of re- Bureau intends to continue to adjust its mail in the Washington, DC area and at identification, the Bureau intends to scrubbing standard and methodology, the Bureau is subject to delay, apply to all publicly-disclosed guided by the goal of simultaneously commenters are encouraged to submit narratives a robust personal information maximizing data utility and individual comments electronically. In general, all scrubbing standard and methodology. In privacy. comments received will be posted designing its scrubbing standard, the without change to http:// Bureau relied heavily on guidance by VI. Effect of Policy Statement www.regulations.gov. In addition, the Department of Health and Human This Policy Statement is intended to comments will be available for public Services regarding de-identification of provide information regarding the inspection and copying at 1275 First health data, as outlined in the Health Bureau’s plans to exercise its discretion Street NE., Washington, DC 20002, on Insurance Portability and to publicly disclose certain data derived official business days between the hours Accountability Act (‘‘HIPAA’’) Privacy from consumer complaints. The Policy of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time. You 32 Rule. The Bureau’s current scrubbing Statement does not impose any legal can make an appointment to inspect the standard is modeled after the HIPAA obligations on third parties, nor does it documents by telephoning (202) 435– Safe Harbor Method, which is generally create or confer any substantive or 7275. considered to represent a best practice procedural rights on third parties that All submissions, including for de-identifying data. In addition to could be enforceable in any attachments and other supporting adopting (and removing) most of the administrative or civil proceeding. materials, will become part of the public specific HIPAA identifiers, the Bureau record and subject to public disclosure. also plans to remove: (1) Demographic Dated: March 12, 2015. Sensitive personal information, such as information such as gender, age, race, Richard Cordray, account numbers or Social Security and ethnicity; (2) appropriate analogues Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial numbers, should not be included. to HIPAA identifiers in the consumer Protection. Submissions will not be edited to [FR Doc. 2015–06722 Filed 3–23–15; 8:45 am] remove any identifying or contact 32 45 CFR 164.514. BILLING CODE 4810–AM–P information. VerDate Sep<11>2014 01:09 Mar 24, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\24MRN1.SGM 24MRN1 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 15584 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 56 / Tuesday, March 24, 2015 / Notices FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For by collecting and providing consumer iv. Timeliness and speed: submission process questions please compliments (independent of the a. Average time between complaint contact Monica Jackson, Office of the complaint process). Each will be receipt and initial/final response. Executive Secretary, at (202) 435–7275. discussed in turn. b. Frequency of exceeding either the For inquires related to the substance of 15 or 60 day allowance. 1. Company Complaint Handling this request, please contact Scott Pluta, v. Consumer Sentiment Analysis. at (202) 435–7306. In 2014, the Bureau sent Refers to the use of automated textual SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: approximately 156,600 consumer analysis to identify and extract complaints to companies for response. subjective information in source Authority: 12 U.S.C. 5511(c). In 2013 and 2012, that figure was materials, e.g., classifying the various Background: The Bureau, established 113,200 and 75,400, respectively. When complaint narratives fields across a under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street a company receives a complaint from spectrum of emotional states. Reform and Consumer Protection Act of the Bureau, it has 15 calendar days for The Bureau also seeks comment on a 2010 (‘‘Dodd-Frank Act’’), hears directly its initial response and up to 60 potential adjustment of the consumer from the American public about their calendar days to provide a final ‘‘dispute’’ function. Under one potential experiences with the nation’s consumer response. The company reviews the scenario, the dispute function would be financial marketplace. An important information, communicates with the replaced with a two-part consumer element of the Bureau’s mission is the consumer as needed, and determines feedback process. The consumer would handling of individual consumer what action to take in response. Once have the ability to rate the company’s complaints regarding consumer the company responds, the Bureau handling of his or her complaint on a financial products and services. In June alerts the consumer and invites him or one to five scale of satisfaction and 2012, the Bureau began making certain her to review the response and provide provide a description in support of the de-identified individual-level complaint feedback. rating. Positive feedback about the data available via its Web-based, public The data shared via the Consumer company’s handling of the consumer’s facing database (the ‘‘Consumer Complaint Database can reveal positive complaint
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