Specifications

Conflict Reconciliation

When sources disagree, the conflict is reconciled before anything is finalized — and an unresolved one escalates.

What it ensures

Conflicting source data is an accuracy problem, not a coin flip. This control refuses to finalize conflicting information without reconciliation and routes an unresolved conflict to a person rather than auto-resolving it.

As with identity matching, it governs the procedure around a judgment — it doesn’t make the judgment.

Watch it run

Two sources return conflicting information about the same person.

Illustrative run — one case moving through the Conflict Reconciliation specification.

Conflict review Reconciled Finalized Escalated
Permitted transition Forbidden move Start Terminal state
When sources disagree, the conflict is reconciled before the data is finalized — and an unresolved conflict escalates, never auto-resolves. Finalizing conflicting data is in red.
✕ Auto-finalize 1 ✓ Conflict 2 ✓ Reconciled 3 ✓ Finalized
Ready

Two sources return conflicting information about the same applicant.

  1. Ready

    The conflict

    The records disagree. Which is right — or whether they’re even the same person — is a judgment.

  2. Blocked

    The wrong move

    Picking one and moving on is fast and wrong. Finalizing unreconciled, conflicting data into the report is refused.

    Where it comes from

    The §1681e(b) accuracy duty governs conflicting data: the agency can’t simply report one version and ignore the disagreement.

    What it satisfies

    Refusing to finalize conflicting data without reconciliation governs the procedure §1681e(b) requires; an unresolved conflict is routed to a person, not auto-resolved.

    FCRA §1681e(b) Statute 15 U.S.C. § 1681e(b) Whenever a consumer reporting agency prepares a consumer report it shall follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates. U.S. Code · Cornell LII ↗
  3. Routed

    Reconciled or escalated

    A person reconciles the sources; an unresolved conflict goes to review, not into the report. The engine ensures the reconciliation happens; it doesn’t decide the answer.

  4. Permitted

    Finalized

    What reaches the report is consistent — or it doesn’t reach it.

  5. On the record

    The proof

    The file shows the conflict was reconciled or escalated — never silently resolved.

Why it holds

Why it holds

The engine doesn’t decide which conflicting source is right — that’s a judgment. What holds is that conflicting data can’t be finalized without reconciliation, and an unresolved conflict escalates. Reliability isn’t a better guess; it’s that the silent pick has no path.

Why it matters

Reporting one version of conflicting data while ignoring the disagreement is exactly the kind of unreasonable procedure §1681e(b) targets.