Some companies, seeking ways to control hiring costs, are using on-line criminal background checking services. These on-line sites are primarily for occasional users and not designed for employment screening.

However, if employers decide to use this type of service, they may still be required to comply with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law which regulates obtaining information on individuals via a third-party consumer reporting agency.

Some key requirements of the act include: clearly disclosing in a document consisting solely of the disclosure that a consumer report may be obtained, obtaining written authorization before obtaining the report, and providing a copy of the report and summary of rights before taking an adverse employment action based on the report.