Fact check
“Consumers could opt in to have their complaint narratives published as public information in a CFPB database for over a decade.”
Reasoning
The ProPublica article explicitly confirms that for more than ten years the CFPB allowed consumers to choose to make their complaint narratives publicly available in its database, matching the claim word for word.
On confidence: The supporting excerpt directly states that for over a decade consumers could opt in to have their complaint narratives published as public information in the CFPB database.
Important context
The policy changed recently under the Trump administration, but the claim concerns the historical period of over a decade during which the opt‑in option existed.
Evidence
Supporting (1)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus’ Business-Friendly Move — ProPublica
gripes and struggles with various companies. For over a decade, consumers could opt in to have what they wrote published as public information in a CFPB database. But last month, the Trump administration announced that it would stop…
Limitations
The evidence is limited to a single secondary source (ProPublica). No primary CFPB documentation was provided, but the source is reputable and directly quotes the policy.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:21 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
The Federal Agency That’s Supposed to Protect Consumers Just Made Another Business-Friendly MoveProPublica · Joel Jacobs