Which entities are primarily regulated under the FCRA?

The primary entities regulated under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) are consumer reporting agencies and users of consumer reports. This regulation is focused on ensuring the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies. Consumer reporting agencies collect and provide data about consumers to entities that use this information in various decision-making processes, such as lending and employment.

By regulating these entities, the FCRA establishes guidelines for how consumer information can be collected, shared, and used. This includes ensuring that consumers have the right to access their own credit information, dispute inaccuracies, and be informed when certain decisions are made based on their credit report.

While other entities like financial institutions and lenders interact with consumer credit information, they are subject to FCRA provisions mainly as users of consumer reports rather than being the focus of the regulations themselves. Retailers, wholesalers, and government agencies, although involved in various capacities, do not fall under the primary regulatory focus of the FCRA in the same way as consumer reporting agencies and report users do. Hence, the answer highlighting consumer reporting agencies and users of consumer reports accurately reflects the primary intent and scope of regulation under the FCRA.