Minnesota tragedy reveals how data brokers sell your personal information

The tragic events in Minnesota last month stand as a solemn reminder for all Americans to reflect and take action. The gunman who targeted lawmakers used people search websites to hunt down his victims’ home addresses before carrying out his deadly attacks. Police found a handwritten notebook in his vehicle containing a list of 11 data broker sites, along with notes about which were free and what personal data they displayed.

The sites included TruePeopleSearch, Spokeo, Pipl, PeopleFinders, BeenVerified, Whitepages, TruthFinder, Intelius, Ownerly, USSearch, and PeopleLooker. These same sites contain your information, too, and they sell it to anyone with a credit card.

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YOUR HEALTH DATA IS BEING SOLD WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT

Which major data broker websites are tracking you?

The $200 billion data broker industry includes over 4,000 companies worldwide. Here are some major players:

• Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (yes, these are credit bureaus that also broker data).
• Acxiom, Epsilon, and CoreLogic (massive data aggregators).
• Spokeo, BeenVerified, and TruthFinder (people search sites).
• Whitepages, PeopleFinders, and Intelius (online directories).

What personal information data brokers collect about you

These companies build detailed profiles that include your name, address, phone number, email, age, marital status, children’s information, education, job, income, political leanings, health details, location data and purchasing habits. They gather this data from public records, social media, shopping habits, and your smartphone’s location tracking.

A woman typing on her laptop   (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The real dangers of data brokers: Privacy, scams, and identity theft

Data brokers do more than invade your privacy. They create serious real-world risks that affect your finances, safety, and overall quality of life.

Financial fraud: Scammers buy detailed financial profiles to specifically target seniors and people facing financial difficulties.

Physical safety threats: They sell your home address and phone number, putting domestic violence survivors and anyone who values privacy at…