04/26/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/26/2024 11:12
Data brokersare companies that collect your information from a variety of sources to sell or license it out to other businesses. Before they can pass your data along, brokers analyze it to put you into specific consumer profiles. Consumer profiles help businesses suggest products you might like and create targeted marketing campaigns based on your interests.
Companies who buy data from brokers use it for things like marketing or risk mitigation. For example, if you're a guitarist, a guitar manufacturer might try to reach you with an ad for their instruments. If you're in the market for car insurance, insurance providersmight use your personal information to do a background checkso they can assess the risk that you'll be in a car accident.
While businesses don't typically use your information maliciously, there are risks involved with having your personal dataspread online. There might be certain details you don't want to share with the world, like health or criminal recordsor financial issues.
Having your data featured online can also expose it to cybercriminals who might use it for identity theft. Sometimes, hackerscan even breach information that's stored in an information broker's database. When a criminal has your data, they might be able to access your financial accounts, use your credit to secure a loan, or even use your insurance to receive medical care.
This article shows you how to remove your information from data broker sitesand protect your data privacy online.
Where do data brokersget your information?
There are various ways for a data brokerto access your personal information. Some of these information sources are offline. For example, a broker can peruse public recordsto view your voter registrationinformation.
Other information sources that brokers use are online. For instance, a broker might track your buying history to see which products you're likely interested in.
Below are some of the top sources data brokersuse to collect consumer information.
How many data brokercompanies are there?
Data brokeringis a worldwide industry that brings in around $200 billionannually. An estimated 4,000 data brokercompanies exist. The largest data brokercompanies include organizations like Acxiom, Experian, and Epsilon.
Can you remove personal information from data broker sites?
Most data broker siteswill give you the ability to have your personal information removed from their database - but don't expect it to be easy.
You might have to follow a multi-step process to opt out of a broker site. Even after your information is removed, you may have to repeat the process periodically.
Different regions have different laws when it comes to protecting consumer data. The European Union has the General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR), which gives consumers the right to request that a company deletes any personal information they have stored.
In the United States, states have to create their own laws to safeguard consumer privacy. States like Colorado and Californiahave enacted laws that allow consumers to have their personal information removed from data broker sites.
How to remove personal information from data broker sites
The next few sections go over steps you can follow to get your information removed from various data broker sites. Many broker sites allow you to opt out of their data collectionand advertising programs.
Opting out can prevent brokers from collecting and sharing your information and help you avoid intrusive ads for things like pre-approved credit cards.
Go to the data broker's website
The first thing you'll have to do is visit each data broker's site that has your information. Some of the biggest data broker sitesthat might have your information include:
While these are some of the largest data broker sitesaround, this list is by no means exhaustive. There's a large number of data-sharing sites out there. For example, people-search siteslike PeekYou, Spokeo, and Whitepages, let average consumers search through databases of personal information.
Create an account with the data broker site
It may seem counterintuitive to sign up for an account with a broker when all you want is to delete your information from their site, but most data brokersrequire you to register with them to opt out of data collection.
You'll likely have to create an account with every data brokeryou want to opt out of. Unfortunately, this will require you to give the brokers some personal information, like your name, email address, and possibly a picture of your driver's license. Cross out your license number if you have to send a photo of your ID.
Find your personal information
After creating an account with a broker, you'll likely have to visit their portal to find out whether they have your personal information listed. Checking to see what every data brokerhas listed about you can be a time-consumingprocess.
Services like DeleteMeand Kanarywill delete your information from data brokers. However, most of these sites charge a fee, and they only delete your information from a select number of sites. For example, DeleteMeremoves your information from 36 different data broker sites.
You should also be aware that some data broker sitesdon't allow third parties to request for information to be deleted on behalf of consumers.
Make removal requestsfor each instance of data
You'll have to make a separate removal requestfor every data broker siteyou want to opt out of. Some data brokersmake the process more difficult than others. Remember that data companies are always collecting records, so you may need to repeat the process of removing your information from data broker sitesannually.
Here's how to opt out of some of the largest data brokeringcompanies we mentioned earlier:
Secure your identity online with McAfee Total Protection
The data broker industryis enormous. A data brokeragecan collect a wealth of information about you from a huge number of sources, and provide that information to businesses that use it to do things like design targeted marketing campaigns for their ideal consumers.
Brokers can share sensitive informationthat you want to keep private, like medical data. Having your personal information floating around the internet makes it easier for cybercriminals to use it for personal gain.
By opting out of information-sharing programs, you can protect your online privacy, reduce the number of intrusive advertisements and emails you receive, and make it less likely that identity thieves will target you.
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When it comes to protecting your privacy online, McAfee has your back.