But they used to, once upon a time, until they were limited from doing so.
> And if I don’t want to deal with a company, I can simply stop interacting with them.
Except when you can't. There's no "stop interacting" for a bunch of things in today's society. Google/Facebook tracks you even when you're not using their products. If you want a non-tech example, try stop interacting with Experian, for instance.
> If you want a non-tech example, try stop interacting with Experian, for instance.
Use cash, homestead, etc. Yes - you can, in fact, stop any data going to credit rating agencies.
There's absolutely nothing you can do to stop being of interest to one or another level of government in US, while living in the US.
I know it's a radical example, but your statement is false.