Data Privacy

What we do with data

We aim to put data on your side. We use it for good, to help individuals and businesses achieve their goals.

We help banks and other providers decide whether they should lend to individuals and companies.

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We help organisations to understand their customers and prospects so they can talk to them more effectively.

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We help individuals and companies prevent fraud and protect personal identities.

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We help businesses improve their efficiency through a range of services.

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How we use personal data as a credit reference agency

The more lenders know about the people and businesses they're providing credit to, the better decisions they make. This means they can lend at lower rates and offer better deals to more people. Credit reference agencies (CRAs) like us provide this information to lenders in the form of credit reports that include your financial information from the last six years. If you need any help understanding what's in your credit report, Experian offers a range of services to help you - which product is right for me?

Get your consumer credit report Get your business credit report

What we do with data as part of our Marketing Services

We all see marketing from different companies every day and our Marketing Services business believe that when done properly, marketing can bring significant benefit to people, organisations, and wider society.
We provide data and insights to help bring businesses and consumers together. And, we help ensure the marketing messages you may receive are relevant.

Learn more about Your Data & Marketing Your data rights and opting-out

How we use data in our fraud and identity services

We work hard to help protect you from fraud. When you log in to websites of other companies, open accounts and access online banking, we often provide services in the background that shield you from fraudsters who may want to steal your identity or apply for credit in your name. We also offer services for consumers to help you to quickly spot if you've been a victim of fraud and understand how you can prove who you are safely online.

Find out more about our Identity and Fraud products Read about our consumer identity protection product

How we use data in our business services

We help companies deliver better customer service, create smoother online experiences and improve business efficiency. We allow them to confirm the accuracy of customer information, reunite them with less engaged customers, and pair consumers with assets they've lost track of, like pensions and investments. Not all of these services involve personal data, on some occasions we act only to help other companies manage and share their data.

Your data rights

It's important that people and businesses understand their rights when it comes to their data. We make sure:

  1. You can see what data we hold about you and that you can correct anything that's wrong.
  2. In some cases you can control how we use your data.

What data do we hold about you and why do we have it?

We hold a range of data about people and companies for a variety of reasons. If we hold data about you it's because of one or more of the following:

  1. You've created a free Experian account or have used one of our paid subscriptions.
  2. You have a UK bank or credit account with a lender or other financial provider that shares information with us.
  3. You're a UK company that's used one of our business services.
  4. Your personal data has been shared with us from data partners who have direct contact with you already, and where appropriate notice has been given for them to pass your information to us.
  5. We obtain your personal data from publicly available sources, including the government, local authorities and other public bodies. This helps organisations build products and services that are just right for you.

More detail

Want to find out about how we use your information in our Marketing Services business?

Learn more about Your Data & Marketing

Want to find out more about how we use your information when you use our consumer services?

Read our consumer privacy policy

Want to find out more about how we use your information when you interact with us as a business customer?

Read our business privacy policy

Want to find out more about how financial providers share information with credit reference agencies?

Read our information notice (CRAIN)

Want to find out about all the types of data we hold?

Read our data access pages