WASHINGTON — After months of operating without any major snags, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday the current version of its consumer complaint database is here to stay.
The bureau has been running a "beta" version of the database since June 19, when it began publishing individual-level consumer complaint data. (In software parlance, beta is the phase before the final release of a product.) The agency removed the beta tag from the database on Wednesday.
"While we will continue to expand functionality, data fields, and the 'look and feel' of the database, after performing for three months as designed and without incident, the database is no longer a beta product," Scott Pluta, the chief of staff and acting assistant director for consumer response, wrote in a post on the agency's blog.
Although the technical system is in place, the database could still undergo some tweaks. Pluta said CFPB may expand it to include additional products and services - it is seeking public comment on that idea and plans to make a final decision early next year - as well as releasing consumer narratives and making the database more user-friendly.
