Editing Experian (section)

==History==
The company has its origins in Credit Data Corporation, a business which was acquired by [[TRW Inc.]] in 1968,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dyer |first=Davis |title=TRW: Pioneering Technology and Innovation since 1900 |date=1998 |publisher=[[Harvard Business School Press]] |isbn=0-87584-606-8 |location=Boston |pages=279, 309, 390}}</ref> and subsequently renamed TRW Information Systems and Services Inc.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Marthews |first1=Alex |last2=Tucker |first2=Catherine |author-link2=Catherine Tucker |date=5 December 2019 |title=Privacy policy and competition |url=https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ES-12.07.19-Marthews-Tucker.pdf |access-date=29 January 2021 |publisher=[[Brookings Institution]] |page=13 |archive-date=10 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010195424/https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ES-12.07.19-Marthews-Tucker.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

In November 1996, TRW sold the unit, as Experian, to [[Bain Capital]] and [[Thomas H. Lee Partners]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1996-11-15 |title=Experian Investors Reap Substantial Returns |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-15-fi-64791-story.html |access-date=2020-04-27 |website=Los Angeles Times|archive-date=31 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731033058/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-15-fi-64791-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Just one month later, the two firms sold Experian to The Great Universal Stores Limited in [[Manchester]], England, a retail conglomerate with millions of customers paying for goods on credit (later renamed [[GUS (retailer)|GUS]]).<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 November 1996 |title=GUS shares soar on pounds 1bn acquisition |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/gus-shares-soar-on-pounds-1bn-acquisition-1352446.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126043005/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/gus-shares-soar-on-pounds-1bn-acquisition-1352446.html |archive-date=26 January 2012 |access-date=4 March 2018 |work=The Independent|location=London}}</ref> GUS merged its own credit-information business, CCN, which at the time was the largest credit-service company in the UK, into Experian.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 November 1996 |title=Large British Retailer to buy US credit data company |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501E2DF173AF936A25752C1A960958260 |url-status=live |access-date=18 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202130822/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501E2DF173AF936A25752C1A960958260 |archive-date=2 February 2009}}</ref>

In October 2006, Experian was [[demerger|demerged]] from GUS and listed on the [[London Stock Exchange]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Stock Exchange company profile |url=http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-news/stocks/summary/company-summary.html?fourWayKey=GB00B19NLV48JEGBXSET1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711085548/http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-news/stocks/summary/company-summary.html?fourWayKey=GB00B19NLV48JEGBXSET1 |archive-date=11 July 2009 |access-date=17 July 2009 |publisher=[[London Stock Exchange]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gupta |first=Rohit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l7R9DwAAQBAJ |title=Reward and Donation Crowdfunding: A Complete Guide for Emerging Startups |date=2018-12-06 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-68466-089-6|access-date=27 April 2020 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801113948/https://books.google.com/books?id=l7R9DwAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2005, Experian accepted a settlement with the [[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) over charges that Experian had violated a previous settlement with the FTC. The FTC alleged that ads for the "free credit report" did not adequately disclose that Experian customers would automatically be enrolled in Experian's $79.95 credit-monitoring program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Consumerinfo.com Settles FTC Charges |url=http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/02/cic.shtm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606164830/http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/02/cic.shtm |archive-date=6 June 2010 |access-date=15 July 2010 |publisher=[[Federal Trade Commission]]}}</ref><ref group="Note">Quotation marks around "free credit report" are part of FTC press release.</ref>

In January 2008, Experian announced that it would cut more than 200 jobs at its Nottingham office.<ref>[http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/01/28/229127/experian-to-cut-200-it-jobs.htm Experian to cut 200 jobs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130160605/http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/01/28/229127/experian-to-cut-200-it-jobs.htm |date=30 January 2008}} ''Computer Weekly''. Retrieved 3 March 2008.</ref>

Experian shut down its Canadian operations on 14 April 2009.<ref>[http://www.experian.ca Experian Canada] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210143411/http://www.experian.ca/ |date=10 December 2016}}. Retrieved on 25 March 2009</ref>

In March 2017, the [[Consumer Financial Protection Bureau|U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]] fined Experian $3 million for providing invalid credit scores to consumers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Koren |first=James Rufus |date=2017-03-23 |title=Credit bureau Experian fined $3 million over misleading credit scores |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cfpb-experian-scores-20170323-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=2017-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325035424/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cfpb-experian-scores-20170323-story.html |archive-date=25 March 2017}}</ref>

In October 2017, Experian acquired Clarity Services, a [[credit bureau]] specialising in alternative consumer data.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-19 |title=After acquiring Clarity Services, Experian launches alternative-data-driven solution |url=https://www.autoremarketing.com/financial-services/experian-acquires-clarity-services-launches-alternative-data-driven-solution |access-date=2020-05-21 |website=Auto Remarketing|archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044619/https://www.autoremarketing.com/financial-services/experian-acquires-clarity-services-launches-alternative-data-driven-solution |url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2024, Experian agreed to acquire Brazilian digital fraud prevention provider [[ClearSale]] for $350 million.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/experian-buy-brazils-clearsale-377-million-report-says-2024-10-04/ |title=Experian buys Brazilian cyber security firm ClearSale in $350 million deal |date=4 October 2024 |publisher=Reuters}}</ref>