The Business of Data Brokers #infographic

Published by Web Desk Saturday, February 7, 2015

Many people assume their data is secure and safe on the web, without realizing that everything from social media data (including friend connections and types of media posted) to even sensitive identifying data like social security numbers and birth dates are up for sale by entities called data brokers. In this infographic, MBA@UNC explores the data broker industry, which generates revenues of almost half a billion dollars per year by repackaging this data into various products, including people search, risk mitigation and marketing tools that can be used by individuals or corporations for a price. But how much is your privacy worth? Some enterprising individuals have attempted to sell their own data without the help of a broker, figuring that they deserve a bigger slice of the pie. These folks have received payment ranging anywhere from $3 to almost $3,000. Others are willing to pay monthly sums to withhold their data from being tracked. However, U.S. consumers are more likely to purchase from a retailer if that retailer provides personally targeted offers—a task that requires access to exactly the type of data sold by data brokers. Where do we as consumers stand on privacy? The answer is unclear, but one thing is certain—the data broker industry is a huge business that only stands to grow bigger.

Infographic by: onlinemba.unc.

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