TECHNOLOGY - Oct. 10, 1996

FTC to Probe Lexis-Nexis, Others: The Federal Trade Commission will investigate possible violations of consumers’ civil rights and possible fraud and unlawful behavior by companies that operate electronic databases, FTC Commissioner Christine Varney said. The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee requested the inquiry in the wake of consumer outcry over an electronic database that provides Social Security numbers and other personal information. The company offering the data, Reed Elsevier Inc.’s Lexis-Nexis, has since curbed such access. Lexis-Nexis attorney Steven Emmert said his company will cooperate with the investigation. Emmert said, though, that consumers’ concerns stem from “incorrect accounts” of his company’s product--reports that the database provided medical and credit records, for instance.