Opinion | The CFPB Targets an Antiterror Tool

I led an investigation for the Federal Bureau of Investigation that caught a terrorist plotting an attack on U.S. soil. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is moving to block access to an essential tool my team used.

The CFPB is considering a proposal that would effectively ban credit-reporting companies from selling credit-header data to law enforcement agencies. These data include identifying material such as a person’s name, current and former addresses, Social Security number and phone numbers—but not financial information. The CFPB’s proposal would force law-enforcement officers to subpoena this information—a process that can take weeks or months—instead of obtaining instant access.