The Business Shrink  

While this is a great tool for families with kids, single parents, school officials or just the concerned neighborhood watchdog, it can also open up abuse. It is stated in the terms and conditions of CriminalSearches.com that information cannot be used "(a) as a factor in establishing an individuals eligibility for personal credit or insurance, (b) as a factor in evaluating an individual for employment, (c) in connection with any personal business transaction with an individual, or (d) for any purpose for which one might use a “consumer report,” as defined in the FCRA. You must certify that you will comply with these Limits on Your Use of Our Site prior to accessing information on this Site." This statement in the terms and conditions will most likely not keep employers, hiring agencies, apartment owners or any number of agencies from using this information to disqualify or scrutinize applicants. We did not experience any verification process or disclaimer of these rules until we dug into the terms and conditions.

Even with the highest standards of usage there is one more flaw that could wreak havoc on someone's personal life if falsely accused. Accuracy of the information is not guaranteed and another person's similar identity could be mistaken for someone else. It is stated on the website in the disclaimer section, "The content, information, documents, graphics and images published on the Site may contain inaccuracies, typographical errors or other errors. We make no commitment to update the Site." It's most likely enough to be ridiculed and flagged as a danger to society if the information is true but false information could be incredibly damaging to people that might be wonderful neighbors and co-workers.

It's not as if this public information is anything new. The information is all available from multiple resources throughout the Internet and courthouses. The problem lies in the slew of websites that try to charge for the access to public information. With this new launch the information will be made freely available and more accessible to anyone regardless of their resourcefulness or contacts.

Just as stories appear in the news of employees getting fired because of their Facebook or MySpace pages, you just may see people getting fired for their unknown criminal histories. With the growth of the online dating industry this service could obviously do some good to alert someone that a potential date may not be that dream catch after-all. Families will be able to have more knowledge at their fingertips and understand the dangers in their neighborhood better. All types of relationships in life could be reevaluated if shocking information is found lurking in the piles of criminal records. How do you think this will work? Do the benefits outweigh the potential downsides?