They profit from this system and also profit from breaches. All of them have been making money hand over fist on this, thanks to their exclusive ability to mon

They profit from this system and also profit from breaches. All of them have been making money hand over fist on this, thanks to their exclusive ability to monitor and lock/unlock their own credit reports. Even if you aren't paying these companies directly, you're paying a company paying them for credit reporting to watch for identity theft. Calling it a perverse incentive is an understatement. Only the US Government could have stepped in and made it unprofitable, but it appears as there will be no significant punishment for Equifax, and instead as a result of this the Congress made it harder to file a Class Action Lawsuit against companies like Equifax, so the next time you won't even have that option...