It’s a crucial question that millions of people across the country have to deal with.

A criminal Record is not what you think

First off, terms can sometimes get crossed when discussing how public information is stored. Perhaps our ideas are colored by things we’ve seen in movies and on TV—when we’re “Booked,” arrested, charged with a crime, or are convicted, we may subconsciously think of some sweaty NYPD police chief with one of those manila accordion files, with our photo, fingerprints, and records of all our mistakes.

With this image in mind, we think, “Gosh, I hope that arrest didn’t end up on my criminal record!” In earnest, what you’re worried about is a lot more complicated, diffuse, and tougher to control.

It’s a question of access

If only that sweaty police chief was the one in charge of who got to see that record…Sadly, most of the data from arrest records, court proceedings, and other law-related databases are public information, so access to those records is easily gained. Even worse, private companies have made completely separate businesses revolving around furnishing this information, and making the info easier to access.

Being Proactive

It helps to take this situation seriously. Say you were charged with a crime, but the charge was later thrown out. Those who are willing to put in the effort can ensure that this type of information doesn’t stay on their public record. Unfortunately, this can be only the beginning of the story. Private databases of legal actions exist, and they make a business of having records that are complete as possible. This means that, even if your record is updated in the court office, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all other sources who had access to that database will update their records.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) adds a degree of consumer protection. It makes guidelines on how public information is used, but it still doesn’t help those who don’t want negative information about them public. And the unfortunate truth is there has been no good way to tackle the problem of this tangled web of information.

Record Fixer aims to change this system by offering a way to efficiently target the loosely connected databases out there, making them take down those past items you’re trying to move beyond. In this current age of information, it’s never been more difficult to protect your privacy. Because of this, Record Fixer is passionate about making the exchanges of background checks and criminal records governed by justice, rather than personal gain. Can you hide a criminal record? The short answer is, it’s tough. But with the tools Record Fixer offers, we’re moving toward a future world where maybe you won’t have to.