Credit reporting agency Experian filed a lawsuit against LifeLock last year claiming they had no right to ask for fraud alerts as representatives of their 1.5 million LifeLock members. Last week, a California applied a strict interpretation of the legislation establishing the right to fraud alerts, and–despite widespread acknowledgment that the service benefits customers—decided LifeLock will have to stop offering to help consumers place the fraud alerts.

According to the judge’s interpretation, legislators never intended that a company could relieve consumers of the burden, and consumers who want the fraud alerts have to place them themselves.

LifeLock CEO Todd Davis is seemingly unfazed by the decision, and is using the decision as an opportunity to roll out LifeLock Identity Alerts ™, a new service that’s been in development since last spring. In a YouTube video, Davis said the new service provides broader personal protection than is available with the fraud alerts still used by credit reporting agencies and other identity theft services.

LifeLock Identity Alerts ™:

• Applies sophisticated and scientific algorithms to spot identity fraud help predict future identity risks and the vulnerability of members;
• Mines more data sources than the credit bureaus. These additional sources include data from many retailers, banks, mortgage lenders, utilities, and auto lenders; and
• The new service is also able to detect the use of members’ personal information for new cell phone accounts, payday loans and check orders or reorders.

LifeLock Identity Alerts ™ is a LifeLock exclusive, as are WalletLock™, TrueAddress™ and eRecon™. LifeLock’s 1.5 million current members have been notified of the judge’s decision regarding fraud alerts, and assured LifeLock will continue providing advocacy and proactive services. LifeLock Identity Alerts ™will be seamlessly added to services members are already receiving.