Data brokers selling lists of rape victims, AIDS patients

[sinkingfeeling]

Last edited Thu Dec 19, 2013, 11:02 AM - Edit history (2)

Source: CNN.com

Consumer data companies are selling lists of rape victims, seniors with dementia and even those suffering from HIV and AIDS to marketers, underscoring the need for tighter government regulations, a privacy group told Congress Wednesday.

The World Privacy Forum uncovered these lists, along with several others, while investigating how data brokers collect and sell consumer information. Marketers buy this data so they can target shoppers based on everything from their income to clothing size.

Other lists the nonprofit found included the home addresses of police officers, a mailing list for domestic violence shelters (which are typically kept secret by law) and a list of people with addictive behaviors towards drug and alcohol.

Wednesday's hearing came after a year-long Senate committee investigation into the $156 billion data brokerage industry. The Federal Trade Commission has also called on major data brokers to increase transparency into their data practices.


Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/18/pf/data-broker-lists/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

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I love how somebody can 'sell' your private information to whoever has the money to buy it.

.

[diabeticman]

1. Doesn't this violate HIPPA laws? We need to stop Data Mining this is getting sick.

[1StrongBlackMan]

9. Possibly ...

but it wouldn't have been the data miners that would be in violation.

HIPPA doesn't outlaw the acquisition of medical information by non-healthcare provider, it just limits what healthcare providers can share ... nor, once obtained, would HIPPA prevent the data miners from re-selling medical information, since they are not in the healthcare business.

[Turbineguy]

2. NSA!

Benghazi!

[marble falls]

3. Just when you think they can't get any lower, they limbo under an ant. Privacy? What privacy?

[LiberalEsto]

4. This is totally f*cking outrageous

but why am I not surprised?

[niyad]

5. but. . but. .

Linda Wooley, president of the Direct Marketing Association, said in a statement that such lists represent a "tiny minority" of marketing products.

I guess this is supposed to make us feel better.

[freshwest]

14. When a lone gun man shows up at the domestic violence shelter from this, what will be done?

Known people who were moved to these and their IDs changed for their protection. LEOs took this very seriously

All of us are fodder for dollars. But a free market is gonna do what it's gonna do, huh?

No, I don't feel any better, as I remember the Tea Party uses public databases to terrorize its opponents, too.

[ctsnowman]

6. This pisses

me off just as much as the waste of money that is the NSA.

[Blue_Tires]

12. +1

[Trillo]

7. Seems like theft

If someone has a right to money or to profit from their own experiences, it would be those who had the experiences. That is the spirit behind copyright and patent protection.

[L0oniX]

8. We are like cattle to them.

[FiveGoodMen]

13. Exactly right.

I'm quite sure that is how the 1% think of us: as their livestock.

[adirondacker]

10. Why am I not surprised when our multinational utility company Demands your Social Security number.

I recall a conversation I had with a right wing business major at a college I worked for. Her remarks were that my generation (between boomer and x) were the hardest to target for private information. This was 15 years ago, and I'll bet they've figured it out by now. The rest of the generations (I don't have anything to hide) were easy.

[Gormy Cuss]

15. The SSN is key to access your credit history data.

That's why utilities ask for it these days. Why creditors and credit bureaus are allowed to use ID number issued specifically for a Federal government program is something I've never understood.

[adirondacker]

18. The private companies should be going to the government for information, Not the other way

around. That said, government should only give a private business verification of who you are and not supply them a code that can be data-based and tracked.

I'm not optimistic that this feral cat will ever be put back in the bag. Invasion of privacy has become ever so passe.

[chowder66]

11. Depraved.nt

[okaawhatever]

16. One reason the internet companies that sell data are pushing for NSA laws is because they don't want

laws that affect them. I'm as worried about the data collectors as I am the NSA.

[Brigid]

17. And there are some around here who are shocked . . .

That so many are outraged about that story out of PA about some private company, helped by the local cops, was setting up checkpoints and trying to coerce motorists into give out personal information and allowing cheek swabs.

Now get this and get it good: No information you give out to anyone remains private, no matter what they might promise you. It can be sold to/shared with anyone. It's that simple.