Credit rating agencies face growing pressure

WASHINGTON From Congress, from state attorneys general, from thecourts, the heat is on for credit reporting agencies.

These massive, computerized data bases, which track thefinancial lives of millions of Americans - usually opening the doorto instant credit but sometimes causing mystifying denials - havebecome key players in the nation's day-to-day commerce.

But by making themselves difficult for ordinary consumers todeal with, and by royally fouling up people's lives from time totime, the bureaus are looked upon in many quarters today as a crossbetween Hal, the run-amok computer in the movie "2001," and theGestapo.

"Out of control," is how Rep. Charles …