FTC: Consumer Privacy Comments Concerning A. A. & Associates--P974806

A.A. & ASSOCIATES
Confidential Investigative Services

State Licence 1000001

June 25, 1997

Secretary Federal Trade Commission
Room H- 159
Sixth and Pennsylvania avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20580

RE: Support for Self Regulation

Dear Mr. Secretary:

In response to the Commissions request for additional comments following the hearing held June 10, 1997, I as a licensed private investigator in Utah, am a regular user of public and non- public records (such as credit headers) and support the proposition of self regulation The data that we regularly access and use in our reports to clients has a beneficial use and need in society. We are regulated by the Department of Public Safety in Utah due to our own initiated legislation. Information that we obtain that is protected we use only for investigative leads and it is not provided to our clients or any one that does not have the authority to have this kind of information. It is a trust and a self imposed regulation we initiated. It s important to have a free flow of information available to support commerce and our judicial system. Further regulations would create additional barriers to professional investigators that today saves lives, prevents fraud and brings families together.

We are required to keep the information confidential and maintain a high decree of accuracy in our reports. To have the targets of our investigation able to browse around in our inquiries and data, or opt out of the databases that are private and public would be the death of our industry and freedom. The prevention of wrong doing and investigation of fraud are real tests of the use of data.

Privacy protection can be managed through our industries' self regulation of uses and dissemination of information.

This industry must have the opportunity to self regulate and welcomes the government’s help in enforcing the rules through the industries efforts.

I request that you support self regulation and work with the industry to successfully bring about policies and procedures that we can all live with in a free society.

Sincerely,

Mel B. Ashton

Mel B. Ashton