Block data brokers from selling your information online

Your personal data is a very valuable commodity. Companies often see it as a resource to mine and trade. In fact, this means everything you do on the internet, what you search for, what you click on, where you shop, what you shop, and what you provide for a huge industry. Many people think they have little control over this.

In fact, Pew Research found that about one in ten Americans say they cannot live their daily life without data collected. We may use a “free” service, but we usually pay. As the FTC explains: “What we do all day allows businesses to access information about our habits, tastes, and activities. Some people may use it to deliver targeted ads to you… others may sell or share that information.”

Let’s look at how to collect your data in your daily life, who is buying and selling data, what happens after that and most importantly, what steps you can do to protect yourself.

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How your data is collected

Almost everything we do online or even offline can generate data. Here are some common sources:

1) Social media platform: Social networks like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter from your posts, likes, location checks, connections, and more. Social media companies harvest sensitive data on personal activities, interests, personal characteristics and purchasing habits. In short, even casual sharing on these sites adds detailed information about you.

2) Online shopping and loyalty programs: Data about purchases are recorded every time you shop online or use a store loyalty card. Retailers track what you purchase, when and how (using a coupon or card). Even offline purchases that are fed into the database using a reward card. Over time, this creates a detailed purchase history related to your identity.

3) Browser fingerprint: This technology collects some information about your browser and device (such as plugins you have, screen size, time zone, etc.) to create a unique “fingerprint”. Even without cookies, this fingerprint can uniquely identify you across sites.

4) Mobile application identifier and SDK: On a phone, each app will typically report usage data to its developers or advertising partners. For example, iOS and Android assign a unique ad ID to your device that the app can read and record your activity. Many applications also include third-party SDKs (software development kits) from analytics companies or advertising companies that silently collect data about in-app behavior and send it to analysis.

5) Cookies and tracking pixels: Cookies are small files saved from your browser from the website. It allows the website to later recognize your device. A tracking pixel (also known as a web beacon) is a tiny, invisible image embedded in a web page or email that reports a return when you view it. Cookies and Pixels allow companies to “remember” your visit, log in to which page you view, and build browsing history after leaving the site.

What is a data broker and how to sell your information

Data brokers are companies that buy, summarize and resell personal information throughout their business. They collect data about you from many places and bundle it into an introduction. The industry is large-scale (estimated to be around $200 billion per year) and thousands of companies around the world. Big-name agents include companies like Experian, Acxiom, Epsilon, and many lesser-known “people search” sites.

Use public records, social media, data breaches and data brokers such as personal resources. They collect common details such as name, address, date of birth, phone number, email address, and sensitive characteristics: gender, marital status, education level, occupation, income range, income range, hobbies and interests. A broker can even buy data about your health (such as the drugs you purchased) or political opinions collected from public voter records or social media activities.

Once these profiles are built, the broker sells them or licenses them to anyone willing to pay. Typical clients include marketers and advertisers, insurance companies and lenders, personnel search and data services, employers and background inspectors, and more.

What happens after your data is sold

Once your data is in the hands of others, it will be used to introduce and segment people in ways that affect what we see and the opportunities we receive. Analysis simply means grouping people through common characteristics or habits, such as “young urban pet owners” or “people who may buy new cars this year.” These profiles are then used to serve your target ads and offers.

Targeted advertising can feel creepy or manipulated. For example, you might notice ads for products you only mention briefly in private messages or web searches, as your data is shared with dozens of advertisers behind the scenes. Every time you load an ad page, your data profile will be broadcast to the company through an automatic ad auction and will show you the ad.

In addition to advertising, there are even more serious consequences, such as identity theft and stalking. A broader profile means an attractive target for criminals. Searching websites for people who get data from brokers can show your address, phone number, family members’ names, and even your Social Security number. This information can be used to steal your identity or harass you.

How do you retract control

There are many ways to control your personal data, some of which are listed in the section below, but the most effective is to consider deleting data services.

While there is no service that promises to remove all data from the Internet, it is great to have a deletion service if you want to keep monitoring and automatically delete information from hundreds of sites.

The Personal Data Deletion Service can help you delete all this personal information from the Internet. It has a very clean interface and will scan 195 websites for your information and delete it and delete it.

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Four other ways to protect data

You can take steps to retract control of your data, and you don’t have to be a technician to do that. Here are some practical tips and resources:

1) Review privacy settings: Take a few minutes to explore the privacy and security settings on the services you use. For example, limit who can see your social media posts, disable unnecessary location sharing on your phone, and consider turning off ad personalization on accounts like Google and Facebook. Most browsers can block third-party cookies or clear tracking data. The FTC recommends comparing privacy notifications for different sites and applications and selecting privacy notifications that allow you to opt out if possible.

2) Use privacy-friendly tools: Install browser extensions or plug-ins that block ads and trackers. You may switch to a more private search engine (such as DuckDuckgo or Brave) that does not record queries. When you don’t want to save history, consider using your browser’s “invisible” or private mode. Even a little habit, not logging in to an account without using or using a password manager, also makes your tracking less likely.

3) Be cautious about personal data: Think twice before sharing the extra details. Do not fill out an online survey or quiz that requires personal or financial information unless you trust the source. Create a separate email address to register (so marketing emails won’t go to your main inbox). Download the app only from the official store and check the app permissions.

4) Opt out of the data broker list: Many data brokers offer ways to opt out or delete information, although this can be a tedious process. For example, a website like popular brokers and their exit programs is listed, such as the Privacy Clearing Room or WhitePages Opt-out page. The FTC’s Consumer Guide “Your Online Privacy Guide” includes tips on selecting targeted ads and removing yourself from the human search database. (Remember, you may have to repeat it every few months.)

Kurt’s key points

You may not be able to escape the data economy completely, but you can limit its impact on life. By using privacy tools, pay attention to what you share and require transparency, you can make it harder for the company to regard your personal information as free of charge. Each small step, whether it’s tweaking settings, clicking “Open Out”, or simply pausing before “Submit” on the “Submit” form, can help you regain control. Ultimately, promoting accountability among businesses and lawmakers is also part of the solution. After all, privacy is a fundamental right and should provide strong security for everyone.

Do you know how comfortable it is that your personal data may be used to target advertising? Let’s write to us cyberguy.com/contact.

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