Lotame Data Management Platform Aggregates Cross-Device Consumer Profiles
Source: TechCrunch | Date: 2024-07-15
The data broker industry continues to operate largely in the shadows, collecting, aggregating, analyzing, and selling personal information on billions of individuals worldwide. Lotame Data Management Platform Aggregates Cross-Device Consumer Profiles sheds light on practices that affect virtually every person with a digital footprint, yet remain poorly understood by the public. Data brokers represent one of the most significant privacy threats in the modern digital economy, operating at a scale and with a level of granularity that would have been unimaginable just a decade ago.
How Data Brokers Operate
Data brokers aggregate information from hundreds of sources including public records (voter registration, property records, court documents), commercial sources (purchase histories, loyalty card data, warranty registrations), online sources (social media profiles, website activity, ad tracking), financial data (credit reports, bank transaction patterns, investment activity), location data (from mobile apps, connected cars, and IoT devices), and other data brokers (through data sharing partnerships and marketplace exchanges). This information is compiled into detailed consumer profiles that can include demographics, financial status, health indicators, political leanings, religious affiliations, purchase habits, travel patterns, social connections, and thousands of other data points.
These profiles are sold to a wide range of buyers including advertisers, insurance companies, employers, landlords, law enforcement agencies, political campaigns, and even individuals seeking to research others. The lack of transparency in this industry means that most people are unaware that these profiles exist, do not know what information they contain, and have limited ability to correct inaccuracies or prevent the sale of their data.
Regulatory Response
Regulatory attention to the data broker industry has increased significantly. The FTC has taken action against several data brokers for deceptive practices and violations of fair information principles. The CCPA and other state privacy laws have established rights for consumers to opt out of the sale of their personal information. Vermont's data broker registration law requires companies that buy and sell personal data to register with the state, providing some transparency. The proposed federal privacy legislation includes provisions that would regulate data brokers more comprehensively. Despite these efforts, the industry remains lightly regulated relative to the scope and sensitivity of data it processes.
Protecting Yourself From Data Brokers
Reducing your exposure to data brokers requires persistent effort. Start by opting out of major data brokers individually — sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Intelius, and others typically have opt-out procedures, though they vary in ease and effectiveness. Consider using a data removal service (DeleteMe, Privacy Duck, Kanary) that automates opt-out requests across dozens of brokers. Minimize the data you share with apps and services. Use a PO Box or mail forwarding service for public records where possible. Be cautious about loyalty cards and reward programs that track purchase behavior. Use privacy-focused payment methods. Review and limit app permissions, particularly location access. The data broker industry thrives on the passive sharing of personal information, and reducing that flow is the most effective individual defense.
The Systemic Problem
Individual opt-out efforts, while valuable, cannot solve the systemic problem of an industry built on the commodification of personal information without meaningful consent. Comprehensive regulation is needed to establish transparency requirements for data collection and sharing, meaningful consent mechanisms, data minimization standards, accountability for data accuracy and security, and effective enforcement with meaningful penalties. Until such regulation exists, the data broker industry will continue to profit from the personal information of billions while operating largely out of sight.