Firms Are Buying, Sharing Your Online Info. What Can You Do About It?

There are some big companies out there that you've probably never heard of, that know more about you than you can imagine. They're called data brokers, and they collect all sorts of information — names, addresses, income, where you go on the Internet and who you connect with online. That information is then sold to other companies. There are few regulations governing these brokers.

Data brokers have been around for a long time, collecting information about your magazine and newspaper subscriptions. They know whether you prefer dogs or cats. From public records they can tell if you drive a Ford or a Subaru or if you've declared bankruptcy.

But the Internet upped the ante considerably. Think of all that personal data you share on Facebook, or your online shopping. According to Julie Brill, who recently stepped down as a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, these companies share just about everything.

"It's what Web pages we visit, where we're shopping, who we're interfacing with on social media — all of that information is available to be collected by entities that park themselves on the various websites," Brill said....
http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/07/11/485571291/firms-are-buying-sharing-your-online-info-what-can-you-do-about-it?ft=nprml&f=1001