Data Brokers & Information Resellers : Elements & Considerations

Consumers are conducting more and more of their daily business online and through their mobile devices. They use the Internet and their smart phones and tablets to make purchases, research medical conditions, plan vacations, interact with friends and relatives, do their jobs, map travel routes, and otherwise pursue their interests. With these activities, consumers are creating a voluminous and unprecedented trail of data regarding who they are, where they live, and what they own. These changes have fuelled the growth of a multi-billion dollar industry that largely operates hidden from consumer view. A wide range of companies known as "data brokers" collect and maintain data on hundreds of millions of consumers, which they analyse, package, and sell generally without consumer permission or input. This book discusses the Date Broker industry in further detail, and also addresses privacy laws applicable to consumer information held by resellers, gaps in the law that may exist, and views on approaches for improving consumer data privacy.