Under the agreement with the FTC, ChoicePoint is barred from providing consumer reports to individuals and companies who cannot demonstrate a legitimate need for that information, Majoras said. To ensure complianace with that requirement, ChoicePoint will be required to certify the nature of the business of each of its subscribers and how they use consumer information, Majoras said.

ChoicePoint is also required to do site visits to authenticate its subscribers, except in cases where the company might have already done so. The company also must implement reasonable measures to ensure that its subscribers are using consumer information in the manner attested to in their applications, she said.

Until now, the largest civil penalty imposed by the FTC against a company was in March 2003, when the agency imposed a $7 million fine against Boston Scientific for anti-competitive practices.