Mark Zuckerbergs bubble may have burst just a bit, as Facebook's acclaimed patent for building a borrowers credit score through social media connections, might not be that credit worthy after all. Recent regulation by the Federal Trade Commission has trumped the idea of using social media data to build a new FICO score. A company that uses social media data could be scrutinized as a consumer-reporting agency using that data as loan criteria. Interestingly enough, in emerging markets like Africa, social media data is KEY to credit worthiness. Who you know online has a big impact on if you will get a loan and can be used against you if you fail to pay the loan. It is unlikely that Africa will ever catch up with US regulations, and maybe that's a good thing.
“It’s difficult to pin a business model on social-media data,” said Alex Sion, president of Movencorp Inc., a digital consumer-banking startup that has worked with lenders considering using social-media factors in lending. “Facebook itself has changed its approach towards data,” he said, making it “really difficult” for lenders to tap into borrowers’ online presence.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/lenders-drop-plans-to-judge-you-by-your-facebook-friends-1456309801