Brazil’s list of good payers a data protection liability?

While Brazilians were focused on the debates around pension reform, one piece of news passed almost unnoticed: the law establishing the so-called “list of good payers“—that is, a database of individuals who pay off their debts on time. Until now, most databases listed only “bad payers,” as a means of protecting credit companies from lending money to high-risk customers. The list’s backers claim that providing lenders with more information about customers’ debt-paying ability is an effective way of pushing down Brazil’s interest rates. Estimates claim that roughly 22 million people could benefit from access to cheaper credit.

A question remains, however: does the list of good payers represent a possible conflict with Brazil’s...