Experian 2016 Annual Report Download - page 58

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Safeguarding data and privacy
We hold data on 918 million people and
107 million businesses. Securing that
data is vital to maintain consumer trust
and our licence to operate.
Everyone working with us – be they
an employee, supplier or partner – is
responsible for the security of the data
we hold. Our Global Information Values
set clear guidelines for how we manage
and use data in compliance with all
relevant laws and we invest heavily
in safeguards to protect data from
physical threats and evolving risks
of cyber-attacks.
People value their privacy and want to
protect it. At the same time, they want
fair and affordable access to credit
and services that they can only get by
sharing their personal information with
lenders and other organisations.
We aim to find the right balance between
protecting privacy and using data to
give our clients the insights they need
to make responsible lending decisions,
provide access to services and deliver
relevant and timely marketing. We
engage with policymakers to support the
development of regulations that respond
to people’s concerns about data privacy
and their desire for access to fair and
affordable credit services.
The quality of data in people’s credit
profiles can affect their ability to
access life-changing services, such as
mortgages and insurance. We carefully
review the quality of the data we receive
and strive to ensure the integrity of the
information in each credit profile. We
alert data providers to inconsistencies or
omissions we find, to help them improve
the quality of their data.
We also advise people on how to protect
their personal data and offer support
for victims of identity theft to help them
resolve issues. In 2016, our teams in the
UK and the USA supported over 45,000
victims of fraud, with individual case
workers helping them to prove their
identity and rebuild their credit profile.
Engaging our people
We want our employees to know that
their work is making a difference and
we encourage them to get involved by
volunteering their time. More than 6,000
volunteers supported our community
programmes in 2016.
Our annual One Young World
competition encourages young minds
across the business to look at how we
champion responsible business, and
propose ideas that positively impact the
communities where we operate. This
year’s winners represented Experian
at the One Young World summit in
Bangkok, Thailand, which brought
together over 1,300 young people from
nearly 200 countries. The summit is a
unique opportunity to learn from some
of the most influential leaders in the
world and bring this knowledge back
into the business. This year’s winners
initiated two financial education
programmes aimed at young women
Corporate responsibility continued
Community spend
US$7.7m
In 2016 we gave back 3%
more to the community
Helping fraud victims
45,000
In 2016, we supported 45,000
victims of fraud and helped
them to prove their identity
and rebuild their credit profiles
Community investment*
2016
US$’000
2015
US$’000
Funds from Experian plc 3,272 3,310
Financial donations and investments from Experian
subsidiaries 1,594 1,565
Employee time volunteered 1,296 1,173
Gifts in kind 620 503
Management costs 957 937
Total from Experian 7,739 7,488
As % of Benchmark PBT 0.68% 0.61%
Employee fundraising 937 1,109
Out of work volunteering enabled by Experian 304 643
Total value of all giving 8,980 9,240
As % of Benchmark PBT 0.79% 0.75%
* For more information on how these figures are calculated, see the Reporting Principles and
Methodology at www.experianplc.com/responsibility.
Strategic report •Corporate responsibility