A Review of the Data Broker Industry: Collection, Use, and Sale of Consumer Data for Marketing Purposes

A Review of the Data Broker Industry: Collection, Use, and Sale of Consumer Data for Marketing PurposesThe United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s inquiry sought answers to four basic questions: 1.

What data about consumers does the data broker industry collect?2.

How specific is this data?3.

How does the data broker industry obtain consumer data?4.

Who buys this data and how is it used?

Based on review of the company responses and other publicly available information, this Committee Majority staff report finds: 1.

Data brokers collect a huge volume of detailed information on hundreds of millions of consumers.2.

Data brokers sell products that identify financially vulnerable consumers.3.

Data broker products provide information about consumer offline behavior to tailor online outreach by marketers.4.

Data brokers operate behind a veil of secrecy.