Congress votes to kick Uncle Sam's data broker habit
A bill progressing to the Senate aims to prohibit the US government from buying citizens' data from brokers, sparking controversy on privacy and national security concerns. [ more ]
Major real estate firms among defendants in 118 data privacy lawsuits
Nearly a dozen real estate industry firms have been named as defendants in data privacy lawsuits.
The lawsuits allege violations of a law that prohibits the disclosure of home addresses and unpublished home phone numbers for certain individuals. [ more ]
Thousands of businesses hand over your info to Facebook
Over 2,000 companies on average share user information with Facebook for every lone user.
The study focused on server-to-server contact between Meta and data brokers and retailers, allowing Facebook to mine users' data for its own purposes. [ more ]
Who's selling your digital data? California gives you tools to protect your online privacy
A California law passed to delete data collected by over 450 companies on the data broker registry, including those selling personal and sensitive information. [ more ]
House advances bill empowering FTC to punish data transfers to foreign rivals
The House approved a measure penalizing data brokers transferring data to foreign adversaries like China.
The bill would allow the FTC to seek civil penalties when data brokers sell information to countries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. [ more ]
Mozilla adds paid-for data-deletion tier to Monitor service
Mozilla has introduced a paid tier for its privacy-monitoring service, called Mozilla Monitor Plus, which aims to remove users' personal information from data brokers.
Monitor Plus will try to get data brokers to delete their copies of subscribers' personal information, providing users with more control over their data.
Mozilla's revenue diversification strategy includes expanding its services and offering paid features to generate income. [ more ]
Mozilla targets scummy data brokers with Monitor Plus removal service
Mozilla has launched an alternative to people-search websites called Mozilla Monitor Plus which automatically monitors and removes personal information from data broker sites and known data breaches.
The Plus version of Mozilla Monitor costs $14 per month or $108 per year, and offers a faster removal process compared to the free version.
Data brokers gather information from online traces left by account sign-ups, advertising, web browsing, and other activities, and sell it to customers like the NSA and FBI. [ more ]
Mozilla Monitor scrubs your leaked personal information from the web, for a fee
Mozilla is launching a new tool called Mozilla Monitor Plus that can automatically monitor data brokers for personal information and remove any exposed details.
The new paid service aims to proactively keep personal information off more than 190 data broker sites, which is double the number monitored by competitors. [ more ]
Data brokers need to reconsider the definition of sensitive data due to recent enforcement actions by the FTC.
The FTC considers browsing and location data as sensitive even without traditional identifiable information, focusing on what can be inferred from it. [ more ]
New Jersey law enforcement officers sue 118 data brokers for not removing personal info
Criminal justice personnel in New Jersey have filed 118 class action lawsuits against data brokers for failing to remove personal information from the internet.
Data brokers could face fines of at least $2.3 billion as a result of the lawsuits. [ more ]
Woman Got Cremation Ads in the Mail After Getting Chemotherapy
A woman in Connecticut received mail advertisements for cremation services after completing chemotherapy, which was likely due to data brokers and data analytics firms in the marketing industry.
Data brokers often have access to medical records or other medical information, allowing them to target individuals based on sensitive health conditions. [ more ]
Mozilla introduces Monitor Plus to safeguard personal data from data brokers
Mozilla has introduced Monitor Plus, a subscription service that helps users remove their personal data from data brokers.
Monitor Plus proactively scans over 190 data broker sites and handles the removal process of personal information if found.
Mozilla Monitor will continue offering a free scan for those not ready to subscribe, but Monitor Plus offers a more convenient and hands-off solution. [ more ]
Biden orders crackdown on selling Americans' personal data abroad
The executive order authorizes preventing large-scale transfer of personal data to certain countries. Data brokers collect extensive personal data. Several departments will implement new protections under the order. [ more ]
Senator says NSA is buying up Americans' browser habits
US Senator Ron Wyden has called on the US Director of National Intelligence to stop intelligence agencies from purchasing Americans' unlawfully collected personal data from data brokers.
The NSA has been purchasing Americans' domestic internet metadata and location data harvested from Americans' smartphones, without a warrant.
The acquisition of Americans' personal data is facilitated by the flow of information from apps to data brokers, without the app users' informed consent. [ more ]
Feds crack down hard on selling of personal data without consent
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has banned InMarket Media from selling or licensing people's precise geolocation data, highlighting the government's crackdown on data brokers.
InMarket allegedly gathered consumer location data from mobile apps and used it for targeted advertising without users' informed consent. [ more ]
Regulators crack down on company selling detailed location data
Federal regulators are cracking down on companies that profit off people's sensitive personal information.
The FTC has settled with two companies, InMarket Media and Outlogic (formerly X-Mode Social), to prohibit the sale of users' sensitive location data. [ more ]
NSA director appointment blocked over data privacy questions
Senator Ron Wyden is blocking the confirmation of a new NSA director until he gets answers about the NSA's acquisition of Americans' location and browsing data.
Data brokers are selling personal data to government agencies without a warrant, potentially violating the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. [ more ]