When should we name and link specific private entities in our answers?

Question

I wrote an answer to this question concerning how to verify whether someone went to the college/university that their resume says they went to:

Fraudulent credentials

The correct answer (in part) is to refer the OP to "National Student Clearinghouse" which is a non-profit that handles most of these type of student degree verification services.

I'm in a bit of a conflict because I'm not very happy that even my own university and alma mater have essentially sold my data to a third-party which then resells them to students and employers. I find this a morally distasteful business model and I don't want to reward NSC with a direct link to them.

But back in the Real World®, people do need to know about their existence.

Suggestions?

Answer 1

The main criteria regarding mentioning third-party services are not to write anything that could be construed as an endorsement or advertisement, and to disclose if you have any direct or indirect involvement with that particular entity. It's completely fine to mention them and then explain why you don't like them, just as you did in your question here.

Answer 2

College is a business, unfortunately. I think that part of the 'agreed upon' in attending is that the university owns parts of your educational data that the institution itself grants (titles, transcripts, etc.). Sad, but that's how business works.

Personally I don't find that linking to NSC is distasteful in terms of adding the content to an answer because:

1. They have data on students that universities have the right to give (or sell) them
2. They are a verified not-for-profit entity.

Even if one has to pay for the service, it's NFP so it's not as perverted an operation in my view.