Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is ProPublica publishing information about approved PPP loan applications?

   The PPP loan program is a major government spending initiative, launched in response to the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It represents hundreds of billions of public funds, an enormous sum that deserves careful and informed scrutiny. There are important questions about the effectiveness of the program and the equity of the loan approvals, as well as the potential for fraudulent activity. The information we’ve published on approved PPP loan applicants sheds light on this significant federal initiative. It is a public record, and the application forms for the loans noted that the information could become public.




2. I don’t want my business information to be published. Can you remove it from your site?

   While we understand that loan applicants may not want information released about their loan applications, we believe it is important that details of the administration of the PPP loan program be available to the public. For those reasons, we decline to remove information on business loan applications from this site.




3. Where does information about PPP loan applications come from?

   The information included on our site comes directly from the Small Business Administration via the federal Freedom of Information Act and was approved for release by a federal judge who weighed various concerns but found that the significant public interest in the information called for release.




4. My organization did not receive a PPP loan. Why is our information published here?

   The SBA data consists of approved loan applications, some of which do not result in actual loans being made. If you do not believe your business applied for a loan, believe your loan was canceled or otherwise do not think your information should be here, contact the SBA.




5. The information about my company’s PPP loan application isn’t correct. What can I do?

   You can contact the SBA using this form. When the SBA updates its data, we will also update the information on this website.




6. How can I contact ProPublica about this information if I have other questions?

   You can email us at [email protected].