Abine

Data broker sites buy and sell your personal information on a daily basis. But why do these data broker sites and other organizations pay for your data? Well, there are a few primary industries that use this data for profit. Here are some of the reasons they’re paying for and want your personal information. People Search Sites Buy and Sell Data Directly People search sites such as MyLife, Spokeo, and Whitepages provide personal information they have collected for free or a small fee. This often includes your name, phone number, addresses past and present, email, hobbies, occupation, property records, and more. These data broker sites can be used to research a person and often come up in Google searches. However, because of the extensive information provided, they can also be used for “doxing” (maliciously revealing identifying information publicly) or stalking, and the information could help someone attempt to commit identity theft. This is why many people choose to opt-out, a ...

It may seem that it’s every couple of months that another major company suffers from a data breach, but what is contained in these breaches? In the information age, where data broker sites collect extensive records on people, is the data available anyway? Does knowing  how to remove personal information from Google  help? Here are the differences between data broker sites and data breaches and what you can do to keep your personal information private.  What Data Is Contained in Breaches vs Data Broker Sites? Data broker sites generally collect public information on you. This includes your name, age, addresses, relationships, phone number, email address, photos, and social media accounts. It can also include the make and model of your car, your hobbies, and your occupation. Anonymous data may be collected too, including health statistics. A data breach, meanwhile, can be of any data an entity collects from you. A credit card data breach from a major retailer will l...