What Are Data Brokers and How Do They Get Your Info?

The Invisible Industry

Data brokers are companies that specialize in collecting personal information about consumers and then selling that data to other organizations. They operate largely behind the scenes, creating detailed profiles about individuals without their direct knowledge. This is a multi-billion dollar industry.

Where Do They Get Your Information?

Data brokers pull information from a vast number of sources to build their profiles. These include:

• Public Records: Information from government sources like property records, court records, marriage licenses, and voter registration files.
• Commercial Sources: Your purchasing history from loyalty cards, magazine subscriptions, and other consumer data.
• Online Sources: They scrape information you make public on social media profiles, forums, and other websites. They also purchase browsing history from various online trackers and cookies.

Why Should You Be Concerned?

The profiles data brokers build can be incredibly detailed, including your age, address, income, health interests, political affiliation, and more. This data is often used for targeted advertising, but it can also be used for risk assessment by insurance companies, for background checks by potential employers, or it can be exposed in data breaches, putting you at risk of identity theft and scams.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

Protecting yourself from data brokers is challenging, but you can take steps. Many data brokers offer an 'opt-out' process on their websites, though it can often be difficult and time-consuming. You can also reduce the amount of public information you share on social media. Using tools like a VPN can help prevent some forms of online tracking that data brokers use to gather information about your browsing habits.