They know where you live.
asserted
you → know → ?
They may know your phone number, your relatives' names and roughly what your house is worth.
uncertain
house → know → number
By now, most people have at least a vague sense that data brokers collect personal information.
asserted
brokers → have → information
What many don't realize is what happens next.
asserted
what → realize → What
Data brokers also analyze that information.
asserted
brokers → analyze → information
They use algorithms, compare records from different sources and sort people into categories that predict their interests, circumstances and behavior.
asserted
that → use → interests
Those predictions can involve your health, finances, religious beliefs and potential vulnerabilities.
asserted
predictions → involve → health
Others could reveal sensitive details you never intended to share.
uncertain
you → reveal → details
And depending on the company and the type of information involved, those profiles may be sold or shared with businesses you have never heard of.
uncertain
you → depend → businesses
Here's a closer look at the labels data brokers assign to you, how they come up with them and what you can do to protect your personal information.
asserted
you → assign → information
Join our upcoming CyberGuy LIVE class: 5 Ways to Travel Smarter and Save Money
In this free live online class, Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson will share five practical ways to protect your trip and your wallet this holiday travel season.
asserted
Knutsson → join → trip
You’ll learn how to secure your phone and personal information, find better travel deals, avoid common scams, save money on bookings and use technology to make your travels easier and less stressful.
asserted
travels → learn → technology
No technical experience is needed.
asserted
experience → need → ?
Here's what data brokers' labels actually look like
Data brokers do far more than maintain databases of addresses and phone numbers.
asserted
do → look → addresses
Some build detailed profiles designed to help advertisers identify specific audiences.
asserted
advertisers → build → audiences
The Federal Trade Commission documented this practice years ago.
asserted
Commission → document → practice
Its investigation found that brokers combined information from multiple sources to infer sensitive characteristics, including income, religion, political views and health conditions.
asserted
brokers → find → income
Acxiom, a major data company, developed a segmentation system called PersonicX that grouped households into lifestyle categories.
asserted
that → develop → categories
One documented historical category was called "Rural Everlasting."
asserted
category → document → ?
According to the FTC, it described older adults with relatively low income and educational attainment.
uncertain
it → accord → income
Other categories included "Urban Scramble" and "Mobile Mixers."
asserted
categories → include → Scramble
These were classifications built from data, not personal descriptions written by the people involved.
asserted
These → build → people
The FTC also documented how companies used location information to create even more specific advertising audiences.
asserted
companies → document → audiences
For example, InMarket offered audience categories such as "Christian church goers," "parents of preschoolers," and "wealthy and not healthy."
asserted
InMarket → offer → preschoolers
The FTC subsequently restricted InMarket's use and sale of sensitive location data.
asserted
FTC → restrict → data
Then there was Oracle's BlueKai advertising business, which helped advertisers use extensive consumer data for targeting.
asserted
advertisers → be → targeting
Oracle shut down its advertising products in September 2024.
asserted
Oracle → shut → September
Still, its history illustrates how sophisticated this industry became.
asserted
industry → illustrate → ?
The important point is that a label doesn't have to be accurate to influence how a company views you.
asserted
company → have → you
Want to see how much of your personal information may already be exposed?
uncertain
much → want → information
Get a free scan to find out what data brokers may have on you at CyberGuy.com.
uncertain
brokers → get → CyberGuy.com
The categories data brokers can put you in
Some of these classifications sound harmless.
asserted
Some → put → classifications
Here are examples of the information brokers have historically inferred or used to create consumer segments.
asserted
brokers → infer → segments
Health-related labels
Data broker research and enforcement cases have documented categories involving:
- Diabetes and related health interests
- Pregnancy
- High cholesterol
- Health and wellness behavior
- Financial status combined with health-related assumptions
A major concern is that these classifications can originate outside the medical system.
asserted
classifications → relate → system
HIPAA protects health information handled by covered healthcare organizations and their business associates.
asserted
HIPAA → protect → organizations
However, health-related information independently gathered or inferred by other businesses may fall outside HIPAA's protections.
uncertain
information → relate → protections
For example, searching for information about diabetes doesn't mean you have diabetes.
asserted
you → search → diabetes
You could be researching the condition for a family member.
uncertain
You → research → member
Yet advertising systems may still use that activity as one of several signals when building a profile.
uncertain
systems → use → profile
Other federal and state privacy laws may apply, but they don't necessarily provide the same protections as HIPAA.
uncertain
they → apply → HIPAA
…and 74 more, not listed.
The Aporia
