Do Companies Sell My Data?

You may not realize it, but every single day you give away some data about yourself. When the cashier asked for your phone number to sign up for that loyalty rewards program at the grocery store. You gave away data. When you entered your email address into a giveaway contest on that one shopping site you like. You gave away data.

Now, is giving away data a bad thing? It all depends on what happens to that data and who has access to it. If your email address is just used to notify you about winning the contest, then that’s great. If the email address is then sold to a few hundred unscrupulous companies to spam your inbox and perhaps even attempt to phish for more data. That’s bad.

What Companies Do With Data

Companies that collect data often sell it. This provides a revenue stream for the company, and it may also allow them to form partnerships with other companies that also collect data. This is all well and good since, in most cases, the data that gets sold is used to market products and services you’re likely interested in.

The problem comes in when the company that bought the data then sells it to another company that then sells it to another and so on. You don’t know where your data will come up, and the more personal your data is, the more potential problems it can cause.

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?

If you’re concerned about your data ending up in the wrong hands, you can first refuse to give your data away. Next, you can request a copy of any company’s data and privacy policies before giving your data away. Some states, including California, also have laws on the books to protect consumers from predatory data practices.

The California Consumer Privacy Act is a law that allows consumers to request a copy of all of the data a company has saved about them. Consumers can also use the California Consumer Privacy Act to see if third-party companies have bought this data. Colorado, Utah, Connecticut, and Virginia have enacted similar laws.

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