Which of the following is a permissible purpose for a consumer report under FCRA?

A consumer report serves various permissible purposes as outlined under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The correct answer emphasizes assessing creditworthiness for loan applications, which is a fundamental and clearly defined permitted purpose under the FCRA. When a lender reviews a consumer report during the loan application process, they are seeking to evaluate the applicant's financial history, credit score, and overall creditworthiness to make informed lending decisions.

This accountability helps protect both lenders and consumers in the financial process. By assessing creditworthiness through a consumer report, lenders can determine the risk of lending money, which ultimately aids in responsible lending practices and promotes financial stability.

In contrast, other options suggest uses that do not fall under the permissible purposes defined by the FCRA. For instance, verifying identity for a social media account or accessing personal accounts for online services may involve different privacy concerns and compliance regulations that are not aligned with the FCRA's specific criteria on consumer report usage. Similarly, using a consumer report for marketing purposes requires a different set of consumer consent and regulations that are separately governed, thus not qualifying under the standard permissible purposes for consumer reports.