Stop data brokers from selling your information online

Your personal data is a very valuable commodity. Companies are often treated like a resource that is extracted and traded. In practice, this means that everything you do on the Internet, what you are looking for, and what you click on, and the place of shopping, nourishes a wide industry. Many people feel that they have little control over this.

In fact, a PEW research poll found that about six out of ten Americans say it is not possible to go through daily life without collecting data from it. We may use “free” services, but we usually pay data. The American Federal Trade Committee also explains, “The things we do throughout our day give companies the ability to access information about our customs, tastes and activities. Some may use them to provide the targeted ads … others may sell or share this information.”

Let’s study how to collect your data in daily life, which he buys and sells, and what happens to her after that, and most importantly, what you can do to protect yourself.

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How your data is collected

Almost everything we do online or even not connected can create data. Here are some common sources:

1) Social media platforms: Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter collect a wide range of data from your posts, likes, checking the site, communications, and more. Social media companies harvest sensitive data about individuals’ activities, interests, personal characteristics and purchase habits. In short, even informal participation on these sites add to a detailed profile for you.

2) Online shopping and loyalty programs: Every time you shop online or use the store loyalty card, data is recorded about your purchases. Retail traders follow what you buy, when, and how (with the voucher or card). Even not connected purchases using the reward card feeding in databases. Over time, this builds the date of a detailed purchase associated with your identity.

3) The browser fingerprint: This technology collects parts of information about your browser and your device (such as the additional ingredients that you have, screen size, time area, etc.) to create a unique “imprint”. The fingerprint can introduce you to get to know you uniquely across sites, even without cookies.

4) Mobile phone applications and SDKS: On phones, each application is often reported on the use data to its developer or advertising partners. For example, IOS and Android appoints a unique ads identifier for your device, and applications can read this identifier and record your activity. Several applications also include SDKS from a third party (software development groups) of analyzes or advertising companies that silently collect data about your behavior within the application and send it to the characterization.

5) Cookies and tracking pixel units: The cookie is a small file saved by your browser from the website. It allows the site to recognize your device later. Pixel tracking (also called a web lighthouse) is a small and invisible image included in a web page or email reports when watching it. Cookies and pixels allow together the companies “remember” your visits, register the pages you see, and create a record for your browser even after leaving a site.

What are the data brokers and how to sell your information

The intermediaries of data are the companies whose entire business is buying, collecting and reselling personal information. They collect data about you from many places and collect them in profiles. This industry is huge (estimated at $ 200 billion a year) with thousands of companies worldwide. Adult brokers include companies such as Experian, Acxiom, Epsilon and many less well -known “people’s search” sites.

The use of sources such as public records, social media, data violations and data mediators collect large -scale files on individuals. They collect normal details such as names, addresses, birth dates, phone numbers, email addresses and sensitive features: sex, marital status, level of education, profession, income range, hobbies and interests. The brokers may even buy data about your health (such as the drugs you buy) or the political views collected from public voters’ records or social media.

After building these personal files, he sells brokers or license to anyone who will pay. Model customers include marketers, advertisers, insurance companies, lenders, search services, data for people, employers, backgrounds and more.

What happens to your data after selling it

Once your data are in the hands of others, they are used to collect individuals and cut them in ways that can affect what we see and the opportunities we receive. Setting simply means assembling people through common features or habits, such as “young urban pet owners” or “they are likely to buy a new car this year.” Then these personal files are used to serve the targeted ads and offers.

The targeted advertisement can feel creeping or manipulating. For example, you may notice ads for the products you mentioned for a short period in a private message or search on the Internet, because your data has been shared with dozens of advertisers behind the scenes. Every time you download a page with ads, your data profile is broadcast to companies through automated advertising auctions, and they play ads.

Besides the advertisement, there can be more dangerous consequences such as theft of identity and chase. The broader features mean more tempting goals for criminals. People search sites, which get data from the brokers, can show your address, phone number, family members and even social security number. This information can be used to steal your identity or harassment.

How can you regain control

There are many ways to control your personal data, many of which are listed in the section below, but the most effective is to consider the data removal service.

Although there is no service to remove all of your data from the Internet, get a great order removal service if you want to monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time.

The personal data removal service can help you remove all this personal information from the Internet. It has a very clean interface and will wipe 195 sites on your information to get your information, remove and remove it.

Check the best data removal services and get a free check to see if your personal information is already on the web through the visit Cyberguy.com/Delete.

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4 additional ways to protect your data

You can take steps to restore some control of your data, and you don’t have to be a technical expert to do this. Here are some practical advice and resources:

1) Privacy settings review: It takes a few minutes to explore privacy settings and safety for the services you use. For example, limit who can see your social media posts, disrupt the unnecessary site sharing on your phone, and consider turning off customization of ads on accounts such as Google and Facebook. Most browsers allow you to prohibit cookies or clear tracking data. FTC suggests comparing privacy notifications to different sites and applications and choosing those that allow you to cancel the subscription from sharing when possible.

2) Using privacy tools: Install browser accessories or additions that prevent ads and tracking. You can switch to a more private search engine (such as Duckduckgo or Brave) does not record your inquiries. Think of using the “hide” browser or special mode when you don’t want to save your history. Even small habits, such as logging out of accounts when they are not in use or using a password manager, make you less trace.

3) Be careful with personal data: Think twice before sharing the additional details. Do not fill online surveys or tests that require personal or financial information unless you trust the source. Create separate email addresses for the recordings (so do not go to marketing emails to your main incoming box). Just download applications from official stores, check the application permissions.

4) Cancellation of data mediation lists: Many data brokers offer ways to cancel or delete your information, although it can be a boring process. For example, there are sites like Privacy Rights Clearinghouse or the cancellation page in WhitePages that include popular brokers and their subscription cancellation procedures. The FTC Consumer Guide includes “your guide to protect your privacy online” tips on canceling the subscription from the targeted ads and removing yourself from the search databases for people. (Keep in mind that you may have to repeat this every few months.)

Court Kisa Curt

You may not be able to escape completely from the data economy, but you can reduce its impact on your life. Using privacy tools, admitting what you share, and demands transparency, you make it difficult for companies to deal with your personal information as all. Each small step, whether it is change and switching settings, clicking “canceling subscription”, or simply suspended before hitting “send” in a model, helps you to regain control. In the end, pressure on accountability from companies and legislators is also part of the solution. After all, privacy is the primary right that deserves strong guarantees for everyone.

How good is to know that your personal data may be used to target ads? Let’s know through our writing in Cyberguy.com/contact.

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