In the US, consumers can freeze their credit worthiness records and receive a code. When the records are frozen, the only orgs that can access the records are those already doing business with the consumer. If a consumer wants to open up a new account, they share the code with the prospective creditor who uses it to see the credit report.
So the question is, how are access controls on credit histories done in various EU nations? Do any use unlock codes like the US, or is it all trust based?
it is not precisely answering the question, but here in czechia, debt collecting is a private and pretty shady business. there is centralized database of these debts and literally anyone can check literally anyone else in the database, provided you know the person’s equivalent of social security number, at any post office.
that is not the debt from credit cards as americans understand it, but debt where you had to pay something and didn’t, maybe you got behind on your rent or w/e, and the court confirmed the debt and allowed it to go to private debt collecting.