facebookToday someone asked me if their connections on the social media site Facebook impacted their credit score. I’m not sure where they heard this rumor, but nothing Facebook does surprises me any more so I decided to look into it.

It turns out that a recent article discusses a patent updated August 4, 2015. Part of the patent reads:

When an individual applies for a loan, the lender examines the credit ratings of members of the individual’s social network who are connected to the individual through authorized nodes. If the average credit rating of these members is at least a minimum credit score, the lender continues to process the loan application. Otherwise, the loan application is rejected.

Yes, you read that right. Having friends with a bad credit score could lead to you being rejected for a loan if this patent were ever put into practice. If you plan on using Facebook the rest of your life you may want to get friends who have lots of money. Or something.

So, do your Facebook friends affect your credit score? No. Not currently, but who knows what Facebook’s future plans are.

Len
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On August 9, 2015   /   Social Media   /   Leave a comment

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