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Data brokers hold detailed personal profiles on millions of consumers
An investigation by Consumer Reports and CalMatters reveals the extensive depth of personal information held by major data brokers. By utilizing new state privacy laws that require disclosure, researchers requested personal data reports from hundreds of volunteers to analyze the contents of these files.
Reports typically include sensitive identifiers such as names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, alongside more than 1,000 automated predictions regarding a person's habits, income, education, and even political inclinations. These profiles track digital footprints, including computer login times and spending habits on items like clothing and dining.
Major brokers such as Acxiom and Epsilon maintain massive databases; Acxiom claims to profile roughly 95% of U.S. adults, while Epsilon asserts it covers nearly every marketable U.S. household. The data is frequently sold to over 100 of the largest companies in the United States. However, the investigation noted that much of the information compiled by these brokers is inaccurate, with some reports containing multiple conflicting guesses about a single individual's traits.
Entities
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Acxiom claims to hold profiles on approximately 95% of adults in the United States. www.danvillesanramon.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Data collected by brokers is routinely sold to more than 100 of the largest companies in the United States. www.danvillesanramon.com · calmatters.org
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Epsilon claims to possess data on nearly every marketable household in the United States. www.danvillesanramon.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Personal data reports from brokers often include names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and over 1,000 predictions regarding personal traits and habits. www.danvillesanramon.com · calmatters.org
- [● 2 SOURCES] New privacy laws in several U.S. states require data brokers to disclose which companies have purchased consumer data. www.danvillesanramon.com · calmatters.org
- [● 3 SOURCES] A significant portion of the data held by brokers is inaccurate. www.danvillesanramon.com · calmatters.org · www.almanacnews.com