Big data companies collect, mine and sell 75k personal details on …

Big data companies collect, mine and sell 75k personal details on …

Big data companies collect, mine and sell 75k personal details on each customer

Published time: May 14, 2014 17:55
Edited time: May 14, 2014 18:29 Get short URL

Reuters/Rick Wilking

TagsConflict

,

Human rights

,

Information Technology

,

Internet

,

Security

,

USA

While Americans debate how to rein in the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program, private companies are gathering massive amounts of data on individuals.

According to a report by Politico, a new Senate survey has found
that commercial data brokers are collecting up to 75,000 data
points on each consumer they track in the United States. This
information can include simple preferences, such as your favorite
sports, but can also involve facts about your health and
lifestyle – all of which can be sold to other companies for
profit.

While some states have moved to protect consumer privacy, federal
efforts in Washington DC have languished. In January, President
Obama mentioned the importance of safeguarding citizens’
information, saying that privacy advocates need to be concerned
with data collection by private companies, not just the
government.

The challenges to our privacy do not come from government
alone
,” Obama said in January. “Corporations of all
shapes and sizes track what you buy, store and analyze our data
and use it for commercial purposes.

Despite the president’s statements – and his previous push for a
Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights – the administration has done
little to introduce proposals for Congress, while lawmakers
themselves have also largely stayed on the sidelines. Generally
speaking, Republicans have come out against any regulations on
private businesses, while Democrats have steered clear of the
issue in order to avoid conflicts with tech industry donors.

One exception has been Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay
Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who told Politico that Americans should be
just as focused on private data collection as they are on the
NSA. He has proposed a bill that would limit data brokers, but
did not seem particularly optimistic about its chances.

Once we decided we’re going with the Internet, we gave up
our privacy
,” he told the outlet. “It’s always the
double side: It’s the greatest discovery ever made and also one
of the worst things that ever happened
.”

Complicating the situation is the fact that tech companies have
lobbied hard against the idea that their information-gathering
should be regulated – instead, they have come out strong against
the NSA and have pushed for action in that sphere. Many argue
that their work will lead to health and safety benefits, in
addition to convenience, and that regulations would put a hold on
innovation.

This is a situation in which technology, new data uses and
new approaches are occurring and evolving very rapidly, and so if
parameters were engraved in legislative stone, it could easily be
the wrong measure, the wrong safeguards … and may very well
inhibit the development of useful and socially desirable
businesses and technology,
” Alan Raul, a lawyer for
technology companies and a former member of George W. Bush’s
White House privacy board, said to Politico.

Already, cameras at various stores can take your photo, send them
to other companies where you are identified, and keep track of
your movements. Other potential advancements include prescription
drug bottles that notify your doctor of whether or not you’re
taking your medicine, or TV boxes that know what you’re doing
while watching a program and on-air advertisements related to
your activity.

There is some activity at the state level, with Utah looking to
restrict the storage of license plate photos taken by hidden
cameras. Meanwhile, 12 states have banned schools and employers
from forcing students and workers to give them access to their
social media accounts.

Still, action at the national level is missing. The rapid advance
of technology even has White House advisers wondering if some of
the basic ideas behind the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights are
already outdated. As noted by Politico, numerous devices are
constantly gathering photos and information.

As more discussion looks inevitable, Jay Stanley of the American
Civil Liberties Union raised questions about the devices’
ultimate purpose.

Are they going to be little snitches in our pockets,
or are they going to be under our control and serving
us?
” he asked.

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Big data companies collect, mine and sell 75k personal details on …

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