The Equifax data breach is itself just one among many data breaches, and small potatoes compared to some others. What distinguishes Equifax and the other CRAs is the crucial role they play in a system where data breaches everywhere cause harm to individuals.

Counting on Equifax to solve this problem is absurd. Equifax doesn't care about individual consumers because those consumers are not their customers. Combating identity theft is a cost center; CRAs cannot differentiate themselves in the marketplace through better tools to prevent an externality.

Consumers have to fight for their own interests because the CRAs will only be dragged along kicking and screaming.