There are data brokers on the internet who collect, analyze, and sell your personal information to third parties or use it themselves for profit. This is often done without your informed consent.
The concerning part here is how this information is sold back and forth between brokers for various use cases. This is often information you entered on a form on a website that you assumed would stay with the organization you were providing it to. Unfortunately this is not always the case.
There are various types of data brokers:
- Marketing data brokers
- Recruitment data brokers
- Risk mitigation brokers
- People search sites
- Financial information brokers
- Health information brokers
These brokers buy, sell, and trade your personal information. The more data you have online, the higher the risk of it being leaked or breached which is concerning given the amount of identity theft going on in this day and age.
Luckily there are services available to help you manage how much of your personal information is being stored with these brokers.
My personal recommendation is to check out incogni. Their mission is to help you take back control of your personal information.
One response to “Is Your Personal Information Being Sold?”
Thanks for all the tips. Much appreciated.