{"id":223208,"date":"2025-10-31T04:00:54","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T11:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=223208"},"modified":"2025-10-28T08:49:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T15:49:45","slug":"frankenstein-data-how-data-brokers-stitch-together-and-sell-your-digital-self","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/frankenstein-data-how-data-brokers-stitch-together-and-sell-your-digital-self\/","title":{"rendered":"Frankenstein Data: How Data Brokers Stitch Together\u2014and Sell\u2014Your Digital Self"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your digital life is being stitched together\u2014one purchase, one search, one swipe at a time.<\/p>\n

Data brokers collect and combine fragments of your personal information<\/strong> to build detailed profiles they can sell to advertisers, employers, and anyone willing to pay.<\/p>\n

While you can<\/em> request that these brokers delete your data, many make it almost impossible to do so<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A joint investigation by CalMatters<\/em> and The Markup<\/em> found that 35 data brokers had intentionally hidden their opt-out pages from search results<\/strong>, making it harder for people to remove their information.<\/p>\n

The result: a patchwork version of you exists online\u2014a Frankenstein of your data<\/strong>, stitched together without your consent.<\/p>\n

Moreover, practically anyone can purchase this sensitive info. That ranges from advertisers to law enforcement and from employers to anyone on the street who wants to know a lot more about you.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what\u2019s happening, and what you can do about it.<\/p>\n

Data brokers making it tougher to remove personal data from their sites <\/strong><\/h2>\n

As part of the article, reporters analyzed 499 data broker sites registered in the state of California. Of them, 35 had search-blocking code. Additionally per the article, many opt out pages \u201crequired scrolling multiple screens, dismissing pop-ups for cookie permissions, and newsletter sign-ups and then finding a link that was a fraction the size of other text on the page.\u201d[i]<\/a><\/p>\n

Once the publications contacted the data brokers in question, multiple companies halted the practice, some responding that they were unaware their site had search-blocking code. Several others didn\u2019t respond by the time the article was published and kept their practices in place.<\/p>\n

Where do data brokers get such personal info?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are several ways\u00a0information brokers\u00a0can get your info about you \u2026<\/p>\n

Sources available to the public:<\/strong>\u00a0Some of your personal records are easily available to the public.\u00a0Data brokers\u00a0can collect\u00a0public records\u00a0like your\u00a0voter\u00a0registration records, birth certificate, criminal record, and even bankruptcy records.\u00a0By rounding them up from multiple sources and gathering them in one place, it takes someone seconds to find out all these things about you, rather than spending hours poring over public records.<\/p>\n

Search, browsing, and app usage:<\/strong>\u00a0Through a combination of data collected from internet service providers (ISPs), websites, and apps, data brokers can get access to all kinds of activity. They can see what content you\u2019re interested in, how much time you spend on certain sites, and even your daily travels thanks to location data. They also use web scraping tools (software that pulls info from the web), to gather yet more. All this data collecting makes up a multi-billion-dollar industry where personal data is gathered, analyzed, sold, and then sold again and again\u2014all without a person\u2019s knowledge.<\/p>\n

Online agreements:<\/strong>\u00a0As it is with smartphone apps, you\u2019ll usually have to sign an agreement when signing up for a new online service. Many of these agreements have disclosures in the fine print that give the company the right to collect and distribute your personal info.<\/p>\n

Purchase history:<\/strong> Data brokers want to know what products or services you\u2019ve purchased, how you paid for them (credit card, debit card, or coupon), and when and where you purchased them. In some cases, they get this info from loyalty programs at places like supermarkets, drugstores, and other retailers. Kroger, one of the largest grocery chains, is a good example of how purchasing insights end up in the hands of others. According to Consumer Reports, the company draws 35% of its net income from selling customer data to other companies.<\/p>\n

What can I do about companies collecting my data?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For starters, there aren\u2019t any data privacy laws on the federal level. That, so far, has fallen to individual states to enact. As such, data privacy laws vary from state-to-state, with California having some of the earliest and strongest protections on record, via the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).<\/p>\n

In all, 20 states currently have comprehensive privacy laws in place, with five others that have put narrower privacy protections in place, covering data brokers, internet service providers, and medical\/biometric data.<\/p>\n

States with Comprehensive Data Privacy Laws<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 California<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Virginia<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Colorado<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Connecticut<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Utah<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Iowa<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Indiana<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tennessee<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Texas<\/td>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Florida<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Montana<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Oregon<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Delaware<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 New Hampshire<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 New Jersey<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kentucky<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nebraska<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rhode Island<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

For specific laws in your state and how they can protect you, we suggest doing a search for \u201cdata privacy laws [your state]\u201d for more info.<\/p>\n

Even if your state has no or narrow data privacy laws in place, you still have several ways you can take back your privacy.<\/p>\n

How to protect your data from data brokers.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The first thing you can do is keep a lower profile online. That can limit the amount of personal info they can get their hands on:<\/p>\n