Data Broker
A company or organization whose business model centers on collecting, aggregating, and selling personal information. Data brokers compile individual profiles from multiple data sources and sell them to third parties.
Timeline (last 90 days)
The GM settlement's requirement for explicit consent effectively cuts off the most critical link in the "collect by default—resell in bulk" chain.
Data brokers are companies that specialize in collecting, aggregating and reselling personal information; they obtain data from public records, commercial transactions, website tracking, mobile apps and other channels to build personal profiles and sell them.
Data brokers are commercial entities that specifically collect, aggregate, sell or share consumers' personal information and usually do not interact directly with consumers themselves.
General Motors was accused of selling driving behavior and location data to data brokers without adequately informing users.
General Motors agreed to pay $220 million to settle allegations that it illegally sold drivers' and location information to data brokers.
Law enforcement agencies can directly purchase datasets containing location, spending and online behavior data from commercial data companies, thereby bypassing warrant requirements.
Data brokers help AI labs find private corpora in the AI training data market and assist data sellers in assessing compliance risk and cleaning and anonymizing data.
In the United States, the data broker industry is almost entirely without unified federal-level regulation.
Automakers sell driving behavior data to data brokers, who then resell it to insurance companies for use in adjusting premium pricing.
Data brokers commonly use multiple domain names, shell entities, and cross-border servers to evade legal liability.
6 more timeline events
All Facts (16)
General Motors agreed to pay $220 million to settle allegations that it illegally sold drivers' and location information to data brokers.
60%UnverifiedThe GM settlement's requirement for explicit consent effectively cuts off the most critical link in the "collect by default—resell in bulk" chain.
50%UnverifiedData brokers are companies that specialize in collecting, aggregating and reselling personal information; they obtain data from public records, commercial transactions, website tracking, mobile apps and other channels to build personal profiles and sell them.
50%UnverifiedData brokers are commercial entities that specifically collect, aggregate, sell or share consumers' personal information and usually do not interact directly with consumers themselves.
50%UnverifiedGeneral Motors was accused of selling driving behavior and location data to data brokers without adequately informing users.
50%UnverifiedLaw enforcement agencies can directly purchase datasets containing location, spending and online behavior data from commercial data companies, thereby bypassing warrant requirements.
50%UnverifiedData brokers help AI labs find private corpora in the AI training data market and assist data sellers in assessing compliance risk and cleaning and anonymizing data.
50%UnverifiedIn the United States, the data broker industry is almost entirely without unified federal-level regulation.
50%UnverifiedAutomakers sell driving behavior data to data brokers, who then resell it to insurance companies for use in adjusting premium pricing.
50%UnverifiedData brokers commonly use multiple domain names, shell entities, and cross-border servers to evade legal liability.
50%UnverifiedCommon tactics data brokers use to design friction-heavy opt-out processes include requiring the upload of identity documents, setting opt-out request validity periods to 180 days, and resetting opt-out records on the grounds of a new entity.
50%UnverifiedStripping domain names has a more direct and lasting impact on data broker operations than fines, as fines are often treated as a cost of doing business.
50%UnverifiedThird-party data brokers, contractors, and verification services aggregate data that was originally siloed, creating new centralized risk points.
50%UnverifiedData brokers operate on a business model of collecting, aggregating, and selling personal information, with data sources spanning public records, shopping behavior, social media, and connected-vehicle driving data.
50%UnverifiedAutomakers collect massive amounts of personal information and monetize it through networks of data brokers.
50%UnverifiedData brokers are companies that specialize in collecting, aggregating, analyzing, and reselling personal data, drawing from sources such as app developers, advertising networks, public records, and social media.
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