While it often seems like information brokers can and do sell whatever data they can collect to anyone willing to pay, there are regulations in place regarding the sale of certain types of personal information. Following a test to see how well brokers were adhering to these rules, the Federal Trade Commission has issued warning letters to 10 data brokers who appeared willing to sell consumer information without abiding by standards set forth in the Fair Credit Reporting Act. [More]
The Tidy Boxes Data Brokers Stick Us In: Are You A Timeless Elder Or Truckin’ & Stylin’?
By April 19, 2013
By now we’re well aware that there are data brokering companies out there, collecting personal data from shoppers including what we buy and where we buy it, using simple tools like our zip codes, for example. But it isn’t just that they know all about us, it’s that often companies then stick consumers into little boxes, complete with fun names like “Truckin’ & Stylin’ ” or “Apple Pie Families” So which are you? [More]
Why Does Target Need To Scan My Driver’s License To Sell Me Nicotine Patches?
By March 18, 2013
Rodney’s son asked him to pick up some nicotine patches, so he did. Rodney, an ex-smoker himself, knows the agony of nicotine withdrawal, and was happy to help him out. Up to a point. He wasn’t happy enough to let Target scan his driver’s license and hold on to the information that he had bought nicotine patches when he hasn’t smoked in years. The thing is, his caution is entirely justified. He could very well land on a data broker’s list of recent smokers. [More]
FTC To Investigate What Info Data Brokers Are Collecting & Selling About Consumers
By December 18, 2012
You may remember earlier this fall when Facebook’s new partnership with data broker Datalogix spurred privacy advocates to ask the Federal Trade Commission to investigate. Now it looks like Datalogix, along with eight other data brokers, will be going under the agency’s microscope. [More]
FTC Asks Court to Order Permanent Halt To Pretexting
By February 16, 2007
The FTC asked a district court to announce a forever ban against businesses using false pretenses, or “pretexting,” to acquire customers phone records and then sell them to third parties.
