5 Things Data Brokers Know About You (and How to Make Them Delete Your Info)
Quick answer: Data brokers can collect sensitive details about you or your family, including address history, purchases, location patterns, and family connections. They then package or sell that information to third parties. Sites that compile those details are part of a whole industry that collects personal data about individuals online, then packages and sells that information to other companies.In many cases, these sites (called "data brokers") are entirely legal.
- ▪Quick answer: Data brokers can collect sensitive details about you or your family, including address history, purchases, location patterns, and family connections.
- ▪They then package or sell that information to third parties.
- ▪Sites that compile those details are part of a whole industry that collects personal data about individuals online, then packages and sells that information to other companies.In many cases, these sites (called "data brokers") are entirely
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| Original publisher | PCMag |
| Canonical URL | https://www.pcmag.com/articles/5-things-data-brokers-know-about-you-and-how-to-make-them-delete-your-info |
| Publication time | Tue, 29 Sep 26 18:07:19 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-29T18:32:31.477Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Quick answer: Data brokers can collect sensitive details about you or your family, including address history, purchases, location patterns, and family connections. They then package or sell that information to third parties. You can manually opt out of this practice site by site, or use Personal Data Cleanup from McAfee to find broker listings and, on eligible plans, have the company send removal requests for you.Try searching for your full name online sometime, and you may find a surprisingly detailed snapshot of your life staring back at you: your address, age, phone number, the name of the apartment complex where you lived in your twenties and even information about your former roommates.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at PCMag.
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