CFPB Stops Publishing Consumer Narratives

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has halted publication of the free-text narratives consumers optionally submitted to its public complaint database. That move removes a rich, searchable record that reporters, investigators and regulators used to spot patterns in debt collection, credit reporting and predatory lending. — Shrinking public access to complaint narratives weakens external oversight, makes investigative reporting harder, and likely shields companies from reputational and regulatory pressure.