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How Your Personal Information is Collected, Sold, and What You Can Do About It<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Our digital lives leave a data trail wherever and whenever we go online. This data, referred to as personal information (PI), can include anything from your email address, name and address, browsing habits, shopping habits, and purchase history. Companies collect this information in many ways, consolidate it into comprehensive profiles, and often sell it to third parties. Your PI is valuable. And while this can be beneficial for more personalized experiences while shopping online, it also raises concerns about privacy and control over your own data.<\/span><\/p>\n The Data Collection Dragnet<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Where do data brokers get your personal information?<\/span><\/p>\n Directly from You:<\/strong> This is the most obvious method. When you sign up for online services, make purchases, or fill out web forms, you willingly provide your personal information.<\/span><\/p>\n Social Media:<\/strong> Every post, like, and share on social media platforms contributes to your digital profile.<\/span><\/p>\n Data Brokers:<\/strong> These companies aggregate information from various sources, including public records, loyalty programs, and even offline purchases, to create detailed consumer profiles. We provide a short list of data brokers later in this article. Mobile Apps:<\/strong> Many apps collect location data, browsing history, and even app usage patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n Consolidating your personal information<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Once it’s collected, your PI is pieced together to create a comprehensive picture of you. Data brokers are the masterminds behind this consolidation. They purchase information from various sources and use sophisticated algorithms to connect the dots. This can include linking your email address across different to your real name, your home address, phone number, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n YOU in the Marketplace<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The consolidated data profiles are then often bought and sold by businesses for various purposes, including:<\/span><\/p>\n Targeted Advertising:<\/strong> Advertisers use your profile to tailor ads to your specific interests and demographics.<\/span><\/p>\n Market Research:<\/strong> Companies use personal information to understand consumer behavior and preferences.<\/span><\/p>\n Risk Assessment:<\/strong> Lenders and insurers might use your data to evaluate your creditworthiness or risk profile.<\/span><\/p>\n Taking Back Control: Opting Out<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n While the data collection digital world can seem overwhelming, there are steps you can take to limit the information collected and sold:<\/span><\/p>\n Review Privacy Policies:<\/strong> Before signing up for any service, understand how your data will be used and shared.<\/span><\/p>\n Manage App Permissions:<\/strong> Be selective about the permissions you grant to mobile apps.<\/span><\/p>\n Utilize Privacy Tools:<\/strong> Consider privacy browsers like Brave, good ad-blocking extensions like uBlocck Origin<\/a>, and privacy-focused search engines like DuckDuckGo that limit data collection Opt-Out of Data Brokers:<\/strong> Several data brokers allow you to opt out of having your information sold. You can search for these companies online and follow their specific opt-out procedures. <\/span>But keep in mind that opting out is an ongoing process. New data brokers emerge, and existing ones might require periodic opt-out requests.<\/span><\/p>\n Privacy Regulations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Some regions have implemented data privacy regulations that give individuals more control over their personal information. These regulations might include the right to access your data, request its correction, or even demand its deletion. Familiarize yourself with the data privacy regulations applicable to your location.<\/span><\/p>\n The future of data privacy<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The conversation around data collection and privacy is constantly evolving. As technology advances, so too will the methods of collecting and using personal information. Staying informed about these developments and exercising your rights will be crucial in maintaining control over your digital footprint.<\/span><\/p>\n Here is a short list of some of the well-known data brokerage companies:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Acxiom (now LiveRamp)<\/span> This is not a complete list; many other data brokerages are operating worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n How much of your personal information is out there?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n To see how much of your personal information is somewhere out there in the digital world, you can get a free personal information scan at one of the following:<\/span><\/p>\n Mozilla Monitor<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Optery\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>(Click on the Join Free button).<\/span><\/p>\n These two we have tried, there are many others.<\/span><\/p>\n The internet brings undeniable convenience, but it’s important to understand how your personal information is collected, used, and sold. By using the information included here and staying informed about evolving data privacy practices, you can take control of your digital footprint and navigate the online world with greater peace of mind.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How Your Personal Information is Collected, Sold, and What You Can Do About It Our digital lives leave a data trail wherever and whenever we go online. This data, referred to as personal information (PI), can include anything from your email address, name and address, browsing habits, shopping habits, and purchase history. Companies collect this information\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4490,4440,4179,4466,4483,1433,1678,1670,1656,4202],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28796"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28796"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28797,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28796\/revisions\/28797"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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