TrustedID Acquires Catalog Choice to Expand Consumer Protection with Mail Preference Service

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TrustedID, a leading provider of credit and identity protection services, today announced the acquisition of Catalog Choice, the nation's largest mail preference service.  Through its free membership program, premium services and community partnerships, Catalog Choice makes it fast and easy for consumers to opt out of unwanted mail to protect their privacy and reduce paper waste. The acquisition of Catalog Choice is part of TrustedID's rapid expansion to provide the most comprehensive suite of identity protection products on the market.

"We're extremely pleased to welcome Catalog Choice to the TrustedID family. In five years Catalog Choice has earned a stellar reputation as an authority on consumer privacy protection and mail choice. Its suite of mail preference services not only cuts mail clutter and reduces paper waste, but also helps consumers lower the risk of identity theft," said Scott Mitic, CEO of TrustedID. "The addition of Catalog Choice will enable us to continue development of value-added services that further empower consumers to protect their privacy and identity."

More than 1.5 million consumers already use Catalog Choice to stop unwanted mail. In addition to its free consumer service, Catalog Choice partners with some 100 cities around the country including Chicago, IL; San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA; Austin, TX; and Portland, OR to create customized mail preference programs which help local municipalities achieve zero waste goals by empowering citizens to reduce unwanted advertising mail. Thousands of merchants also use Catalog Choice to manage their subscription preferences and maintain best practices in their customer contact communications.

In support of the Catalog Choice mission, 100 percent of the proceeds from the acquisition will go to the Catalog Choice Foundation - a nonprofit that will provide grants to worthy projects that help people reduce unwanted mail and save natural resources. "We are pleased to have TrustedID assume stewardship of Catalog Choice," said Daniel R. Katz, board chair of Catalog Choice and Senior Program Director at The Overbrook Foundation in New York City. "This is a unique, innovative and beneficial outcome because Catalog Choice, created and run by a nonprofit organization, will continue while a new source of funding is created to support additional efforts to conserve our planet's natural resources."

"Unsolicited mail, such as pre-approved credit offers, is  a nuisance and waste of natural resources and a key privacy issue," said Chuck Teller, president of Catalog Choice. "For years we've helped educate and empower citizens to take control over their mailbox.   We are very excited for the opportunity to become part of TrustedID, a company focused on delivering identity protection and privacy services that provide peace of mind for consumers and take privacy protection to the next level."

The Catalog Choice service will continue to operate at www.catalogchoice.org and in association with communities across the nation.  Existing and new Catalog Choice users will have full access to the free opt-out service and MailStop™ solutions—including MailStop Mobile, MailStop Envelopes and MailStop Shield.

For more information, visit www.trustedid.com and www.catalogchoice.org.

About TrustedID

TrustedID delivers privacy, security and reputation management services to proactively help protect against credit and identity theft –safeguarding individuals, families and businesses. 

Awarded Best-In-Class by Javelin Research, TrustedID services provide a comprehensive suite of protections including access to our 24/7 on-call protection team and $1,000,000 limited warranty. TrustedID's IDSafe™ is the first-ever free credit and identity theft protection service, delivering key safeguards to consumers. TrustedID's Unsubscribe.com™ service offers consumers a new layer of privacy protection on services such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. TrustedID's Reppler™ service helps individuals understand and manage the risks to their reputations from using popular social media services. TrustedID's Data Breach Solutions group serves businesses of all sizes with immediate protection of the identities of those directly affected. TrustedID is a privately-held company with headquarters in Palo Alto, California. For more information about our products and services visit our website at www.trustedid.com.

About Catalog Choice

Founded in 2007 to provide consumers greater control over the marketing materials that enter their mailboxes, Catalog Choice is the world's largest preference and privacy portal. Since its launch, Catalog Choice has connected more than 1.5 million consumers with 4,200 direct marketing companies to process over 20 million suppression requests through free membership services, Catalog Choice for Communities partnerships and MailStop™ solutions—including MailStop Mobile, MailStop Envelopes and MailStop Shield. By reducing unwanted mail and phone books, Catalog Choice's free and low-cost services reduce deforestation, greenhouse gases, solid waste and water consumption

About Catalog Choice Foundation

The Catalog Choice Foundation, launched with the proceeds from  the acquisition, will fund programs that support efforts to reduce paper and plastic waste and promoting the sustainable use of our planet's natural resources.  For more information about the foundation visit our new website at www.paperplasticchange.org

SOURCE Trusted ID