The Data Brokers: Selling your personal information

CBS News ^ | Mar 9, 2014 | Steve Kroft

[Second Amendment First]

Over the past six months or so, a huge amount of attention has been paid to government snooping, and the bulk collection and storage of vast amounts of raw data in the name of national security. What most of you don't know, or are just beginning to realize, is that a much greater and more immediate threat to your privacy is coming from thousands of companies you've probably never heard of, in the name of commerce.

They're called data brokers, and they are collecting, analyzing and packaging some of our most sensitive personal information and selling it as a commodity...to each other, to advertisers, even the government, often without our direct knowledge. Much of this is the kind of harmless consumer marketing that's been going on for decades. What's changed is the volume and nature of the data being mined from the Internet and our mobile devices, and the growth of a multibillion dollar industry that operates in the shadows with virtually no oversight.

Companies and marketing firms have been gathering information about customers and potential customers for years, collecting their names and addresses, tracking credit card purchases, and asking them to fill out questionnaires, so they can offer discounts and send catalogues. But today we are giving up more and more private information online without knowing that it's being harvested and personalized and sold to lots of different people...our likes and dislikes, our closest friends, our bad habits, even your daily movements, both on and offline. Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill says we have lost control of our most personal information.

[Viennacon]

Straight into the Democrat’s digibase no doubt

[Second Amendment First]

Among others. I went to a story posted earlier on The Daily Caller and it wanted to run 34 scripts.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

My husband is now getting collect calls from someone in prison, on his cell phone, at all hours of the day & night.

We don’t know anyone in prison. I wonder how they got his cellphone number? The telemarketers also drive us nuts on our cells and home phones. I hate politicians...

[Clintonfatigued]

This is disturbing.

[BipolarBob]

I downloaded the “Disconnect” app. Tried “Duck Duck Go” and looked at White Hat Security browser. Google and FakeBook just make everything so simple and therefore it takes effort to gain some semblance of anonymity.

[jsanders2001]

I know what this recent development is all about. There are lenders, collections specialists, attorneys, bail bondsmen, private investifators, and other relared professions that have a need for this information to track down deadbeat debtors, criminals, fraudsters, witnesses, etc...(or prove election when you determine that the voters are made up out of thin air, prove fraud, investigate shell companies, you name it. Now the feds already have access to all of this information but they don’t want the private sector to. Why? They don’t want the peasants to be able to investigate the royalty. I’d already heard this was coming down the pike and the way the MSM was going to slant it. Don’t be fooled. This is their goal. To further remove access to information so they can conceal their activities and not have to answer to you.

[MUDDOG]

But the IP address and the computer ID number are recorded and it is not difficult for data brokers to match that information with other online identifiers. There are firms that specialize in doing it.

So apparently they know who you are without having to use cookies.

[Second Amendment First]

Thanks. I’m trying Disconnect. Startpage is a search engine that uses Google, but does not record your IP address.

[prof.h.mandingo]

This is not about the royalty. They have no fear from trackers. This is about trolling for Joe six-pack with tons of info. that they do not really need to track an individual down. I don't want the feds or private parties to have most of this info. It is NOT needed for location purposes. They do it because they can not because they should.

[jsanders2001]

Sorry but you don’t know the whole picture. If you completely remove access to information you will lose the ability to investigate your overlords and only they will have access to it. Think carefully before you fall for their trap.

[prof.h.mandingo]

I agree. I said “most” information. They data mine way too much personal info. I have no problem with general info. where you work, your home address etc. info. that was available prior to the high tech. revolution. We could expand that some but not too much. We had no problem taking down the high and mighty prior to all this info.

[grania]

I have no idea why people do anything personal or financial online anymore. For me, credit card with that one major company, general “how are ya’” emails, hotel reservations with one site linked to a hotel chain, anonymous posting on FR....that’s it. I pay bills by check. So I’d guess my profile is pretty thin.