Definition
Data Broker
A company that collects, aggregates, and sells personal data about you, usually without your direct knowledge or consent.
A data broker assembles profiles from public records, app trackers, loyalty programs, and other brokers, then sells that profile to advertisers, insurers, employers, and sometimes anyone who pays. You are rarely the customer; you are the product.
Why it matters: brokers are the reason a single leaked detail can resurface across dozens of databases. Removing yourself is possible but slow, which is why minimising what you share at the source matters more than cleanup after the fact.
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