How Data Brokers Collect Your Info
Understanding the data broker industry and how they profit from your personal information.
What Are Data Brokers?
Data brokers are companies that collect, aggregate, and sell personal information about consumers. They compile profiles from hundreds of sources without your direct knowledge or consent.
Major Data Brokers
Acxiom
One of largest. Over 500 million consumer profiles. 5,000+ data points per person. Sells to Fortune 500.
Experian
Credit bureau + data broker. Financial data plus lifestyle info. 220 million+ profiles.
Oracle Data Cloud
Formerly BlueKai. Tracks 2 billion+ people. Monitors 5 trillion transactions annually.
Epsilon
Marketing data company. 250 million consumer profiles. Purchase history specialist.
CoreLogic
Property and financial data. Homeownership records, mortgage data, demographics.
LexisNexis
Public records aggregator. Court records, addresses, relatives, bankruptcies.
How They Collect Data
- Public Records: Property ownership, voter registration, court records, professional licenses
- Purchase History: Loyalty cards, warranty registrations, magazine subscriptions
- Online Activity: Browsing history via tracking cookies and pixels
- Social Media: Public posts, likes, connections, interests
- Apps & Services: Data from free apps, mobile games, utilities
- Surveys & Contests: Seemingly innocent forms harvest data
- Other Brokers: Buy and trade data among themselves
- Data Breaches: Purchase leaked databases from dark web
What They Know About You
Demographics
Name, age, gender, race, education level, marital status, number of children, occupation.
Financial
Income estimate, credit score range, net worth, investments, credit card activity, bankruptcy history.
Property
Homeownership status, property value, mortgage amount, purchase date, square footage.
Behavior
Shopping habits, travel patterns, entertainment preferences, political leanings, health concerns.
Relationships
Relatives, neighbors, associates, social connections. Build social graphs.
Who Buys Your Data
Marketers & Advertisers
Target ads based on profile. Direct mail campaigns. Email marketing. Largest buyer category.
Insurance Companies
Risk assessment. Premium calculation. Claims investigation. Can affect coverage.
Employers
Background checks. Candidate screening. Predict job performance. Monitor employees.
Financial Institutions
Credit decisions. Fraud prevention. Pre-approved offers. Account management.
Landlords
Tenant screening. Rental applications. Eviction history. Income verification.
Political Campaigns
Voter targeting. Donation asks. Microtargeted messaging. Get-out-the-vote.
Data Broker Categories
- "Suffering Seniors": Elderly with health issues. Vulnerable to scams.
- "Expectant Parents": Predict pregnancy before announcement. Target baby products.
- "Financially Challenged": Payday loan candidates. High-interest offers.
- "Biker Enthusiasts": License plate data. Target motorcycle products.
- "Christian Families": Religious affiliation. Faith-based marketing.
Risks & Harms
Price Discrimination
Different prices shown based on profile. Wealthier users see higher prices. No transparency.
Predatory Targeting
Payday lenders target financially struggling. For-profit colleges target vulnerable. Exploitative.
Identity Theft
Data breaches expose information. Fraudsters use for impersonation. People search sites provide roadmap.
Stalking & Harassment
Abusive ex-partners use to locate victims. Addresses publicly searchable. Serious safety risk.
Discrimination
Inaccurate data affects opportunities. No way to correct. Algorithmic bias perpetuated.
People Search Sites
Consumer-facing data brokers that anyone can search:
- Whitepages, Spokeo, PeopleFinder, BeenVerified
- Show name, age, addresses, phone numbers, relatives
- Often inaccurate but publicly searchable
- Can request removal but tedious process
- Information often reappears
Protecting Yourself
Opt Out of Data Brokers
Submit opt-out requests to major brokers. Time-consuming but effective. Use opt-out services like DeleteMe.
Limit Data Sharing
Read privacy policies. Opt out of data sharing when available. Uncheck marketing boxes.
Use Privacy Tools
Ad blocker prevents tracking. VPN hides IP. Privacy browser limits fingerprinting.
Fake Info for Non-Essential
Use fake name, birthday for loyalty cards. Disposable email for accounts. Privacy.com virtual cards.
Freeze Credit
Free at all three bureaus. Prevents new credit inquiries. Limits one source of data.
Monitor Your Info
Google yourself regularly. Check people search sites. Set up alerts for your name.
Legal Rights
- CCPA (California): Right to know what data collected. Right to deletion. Opt-out of sale.
- GDPR (EU): Consent required. Data portability. Right to be forgotten.
- FCRA: Limits use of data for credit, employment, insurance. Can dispute inaccuracies.
- State Laws: Growing number of state privacy laws. Check your state.