#Databroker

[aktionfsa-blog-blog]

EU förderte seltsames Start-Up

Außer Spesen nichts gewesen

„Databroker“ ist oder war eine "Anwendung" des belgischen Start-ups SettleMint. Es sollte sich auf Blockchain-Technologie spezialisiert haben. SettleMint konnte im Jahr 2022 mehrere Millionen Euro Risikokapital einsammeln und auch die EU förderte das Start-up. SettleMint durfte sogar mit 15 weiteren EU Start-Ups zur weltgrößten Technologiemesse CES nach Las Vegas reisen.

Nun müsste die Kommission Teile ihrer Fördergeldern zurückfordern, denn nachdem bereits im letzten Juli von netzpolitik.org ein Datenleck beim belgischen Datenmarkplatz „Databroker“ entdeckt worden war: "Rund 30 Listen mit Passdaten standen kostenlos zum Download auf der Seite. Ein für Außenstehende anonymer Händler hatte sie auf dem Marktplatz hochgeladen." Woher diese Daten stammten und wie viel Geld mit diesem Angebot gemacht wurden, ist nicht bekannt.

"Alle haben Geld verloren"

 Nun ist die Webseite offline und auf Anfragen von netzpolitik.org gab es keine Auskunft mehr. Das Unternehmen hatte 2017 und 2018 in zwei Runden Token in den Kryptowährungen Ether oder Bitcoin an Investor:innen verkauft. Aus der Blockchain lässt sich ersehen, dass auf diese Weise mindestens 1,05 Millionen US-Dollar eingenommen wurden. Wie viel das Unternehmen auf andere Zahlungsweisen erhalten hat, ist nicht bekannt. Dazu kommen noch die zwischen 2019 bis 2021 mehr als 1,8 Millionen Euro aus Töpfen der EU-Kommission.

Die EU Kommission äußert sich nicht zu einem laufenden Verfahren ...

Mehr dazu bei https://netzpolitik.org/2025/belgischer-datenmarktplatz-eu-foerdert-weiter-start-up-hinter-passdaten-leak/

Kategorie[21]: Unsere Themen in der Presse Short-Link dieser Seite: a-fsa.de/d/3FP Link zu dieser Seite: https://www.aktion-freiheitstattangst.org/de/articles/9079-20250303-eu-foerderte-seltsames-start-up.html

[deletemyinfonow]

😨 PeopleFinders.com might be exposing your identity online—without your permission.

Search your name and you could find: 📍 Your address 📞 Your phone number 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Your relatives 📅 Your birthdate

That’s a digital privacy nightmare.

Good news? You can remove it. Better news? DeleteMyInfo™ can do it for you.

✔️ We scan over 150 data broker sites ✔️ File removal requests fast ✔️ Monitor your info so it doesn’t come back ✔️ Send you quarterly reports

Don’t let PeopleFinders profit off your personal life.

📞 855 959 0311 ✉️ support@deletemyinfo 🔗 https://deletemyinfo.com/how-to-remove-information-from-peoplefinders-com/

[digitalnaiv]

Wetter-App als Spion: Der erschreckende Handel mit unseren Daten

'Ich habe nichts zu verbergen' - dieser Satz könnte gefährlicher nicht sein. Neue Enthüllungen zeigen, wie Datenhändler selbst aus harmlosen Wetter-Apps und Nachrichtenportalen präzise Bewegungsprofile erstellen. Die Folgen können gravierend sein.

[ptitolier]

Title: Are We Truly Free in a World Obsessed with Our Data?

A few years ago, I realised that my phone knew my desires better than I did. This isn’t an exaggeration. Every notification, every recommendation seemed perfectly timed. But how? The answer is simple: my data, constantly collected, was feeding invisible algorithms.

This reality disturbed me for a long time. Not just because I hate the idea of being watched, but because I wondered: if my choices are influenced by algorithms, am I still free?

A World of Data, A World of Control?

We live in an era where our data is extracted and monetised by companies we often don’t even know exist. Yes, we’re aware that Google and Facebook collect our information. But few people know about data brokers – these companies that buy, analyse, and resell our digital lives.

Shoshana Zuboff, in The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, describes this phenomenon as a new form of power. She argues that our behaviour has become a raw material, extracted and exploited to anticipate our actions and influence our decisions. What struck me most in her analysis is the idea that digital surveillance is no longer just a tool, but an entire economy.

Can We Talk About Freedom When Everything Is Anticipated?

I grew up believing that freedom meant having choices. But today, every choice I make online is guided by algorithms. When Spotify recommends a song, is it my personal taste or a machine that analysed my past listens? When Netflix suggests a film, is it a free choice or a calculated suggestion designed to keep me on the platform longer?

Byung-Chul Han, a contemporary philosopher, criticises this society of transparency where everything must be visible, measurable, and exploitable. He writes that in this quest for data, we lose our opacity – that space where our individuality could exist without constant scrutiny. And without that opacity, freedom becomes an illusion.

Why Should We Care?

Many might say, ���I have nothing to hide, so it doesn’t matter.” But it’s not just about privacy. It’s about control. Every piece of data collected is another brick in a structure where our behaviours are predicted, influenced, and sometimes manipulated.

When data brokers sell our information to advertisers, it’s not just to show us an ad for shoes. It’s to shape our digital environment so that we buy those shoes. Or worse, to influence our political opinions, our relationships, or even our ambitions.

Where Are We Headed?

What troubles me most is how normal this data collection has become. We accept cookies without thinking. We give apps access to our contacts, location, and photos simply because they ask for it. And each time we do, we give away a little more of our freedom.

But not all is lost. The first step is to understand this system. The second is to act. My Medium article dives deeper into how our data is extracted and sold – but more importantly, what it means for our freedom. Because in the end, the question is simple: do we really want to live in a world where our choices are no longer truly ours?

Read the full article here

[petr-1980]

Ever wondered how many companies actually store your personal data? Your name, address, email, phone number... maybe even your location history? Yeah. Same here.

That’s why I decided to take action. I tested a service called Incogni – it automatically sends out data removal requests to dozens (actually hundreds) of data brokers who collect and sell your info behind the scenes.

📊 My first results?

49 requests sent

16 removals confirmed

4 companies permanently blacklisted me (which is great)

And 12+ hours of manual work saved

This is all done legally thanks to GDPR – and if you're in the EU, you have the right to be forgotten. Use it.

🧠 I wrote a full review about how Incogni works, why it's worth using, and how you can get it free for a whole year. Check it out: 👉 [Insert article link here]

[nikita-berezyuk]

💻🔍 Investigating Data Brokers: Our Project Proposal

For our course project, we have chosen to focus on Module Three: Data Brokers. We believe this is an important topic as it highlights the concept of ethical internet usage. Understanding how personal data is collected, stored, and sold is essential in today’s digital world.

Our goal is to explore how data brokers operate and why this knowledge is crucial for high school students. By learning about online data collection, students can make more informed decisions about their privacy, recognize potential risks, and develop responsible digital habits.

🔗 Check it out here with pre-recorded audio:

📹 Or watch it in video format:

[anselmolucio]

La prohibición de TikTok confirma el peligro del tráfico de datos personales para la opinión pública

Imagen: netzpolitik.org La resolución del Tribunal Supremo de Estados Unidos de avalar la ley que establece que la plataforma de vídeos cortos TikTok debe cesar su actividad este domingo 19 de enero -lo que afectaría a 170 millones de usuarios norteamericanos-, salvo que sea adquirida por inversores estadounidenses o de otros países democráticos, pone de relieve la enorme importancia que tienen…

[jnkmamma]

Data Brokers: The Dark Industry of Selling Your Identity for Profit.

[joelekm]

The Future of Fintech is not Finance

Forget about the Tech and Fintech. Focus on open financial data sharing to start understanding the future. Ghela Boskovich heads the Financial Data and Technology Association (FData) in Europe. We discuss the impact of data and intelligence sharing across industries, the importance of APIs for interoperability, and the ethical considerations of data brokering.

[kferrier-eid100]

Blog Post #3

When I consider the scope of online data collection, specifically by data brokers, I notice how vast and invasive it is. Companies (like the ones mentioned in Module 3) Acxiom, Experian, and Oracle track and gather personal data from a variety of sources, including online behavior and public records, to create detailed personal profiles. This information contains everything from shopping habits and search histories to more intimate details like ethnic identity and even sexual orientation. The primary goal for these data brokers is to classify individuals based on their perceived commercial value, which is then sold to various marketers, banks, insurers, and sometimes even governments.

From what we’ve learned in Module 3, the process of collecting data is not only limited to cookies and website trackers, but it also extends across multiple devices, using techniques like cross-device tracking. This means that regardless of whether you’re on a laptop, smartphone, or even a smart TV, your actions are being monitored and compiled into a comprehensive digital profile. These data points can be surprisingly specific, with categories like “Asian Heritage” or “Streetwise Singles” reflecting highly niche demographic segments.

After utilizing Disconnect on Firefox, what I’ve noticed to be particularly concerning is how little transparency or control we (users) have over this process. The idea of being categorized and sold to the highest bidder, without consent or awareness, showcases a grater issue of privacy erosion in the digital age. This system not only commodifies personal data but also undermines users’ sense of privacy, leaving them exposed to manipulation and targeted ads based on personal characteristics they may not have knowingly shared.

In conclusion, I was extremely surprised and discomforted by the idea that forty-six trackers were following me on my search through the Amazon website. Out af all the eight websites I surfed, Amazon had the greatest amount of trackers. After this little experiment, I can understand why it really puts users/consumers in an uncomfortable position, especially when they’re unaware that almost everything they’re looking at and searching is being watched by various companies. I believe that if large companies like Amazon plan on using this kind of strategy for their company, all users should be notified of this pre-sign-up or pre-account creation.

8 WEBSITES VISITED:

Civic or Non-Commercial Sites:

United Nations – https://www.un.org

National Park Service – https://www.nps.gov

E-Commerce Sites:

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com

Etsy – https://www.etsy.com

News Sites:

The New York Times – https://www.nytimes.com

BBC News – https://www.bbc.com/news

Social Sites:

Tumblr – https://www.tumblr.com

Reddit – https://www.reddit.com

[dvdmerwe]

“Geolocation data can reveal not just where a person lives and whom they spend time with but also, for example, which medical treatments they seek and where they worship,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan.

It’s a reminder again why so many are very sensitive about their metadata. Geolocation is only one form of metadata, and it is not about where you are right now. It’s about all the places you visit and what the associations are with those places. When matched with other people’s geolocation data, it shows who your friends are, who you work with, when you go to what religious institutions, where and when you shop, and it goes on and on.

These data brokers specialise though in putting lots of different metadata together to form the fuller picture. That information is worth a lot of money.

“As AI models further incentivize firms to vacuum up people’s personal data, placing limits on how firms can track and use sensitive information is paramount,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said.

I get that the FTC only has jurisdiction over US companies, but if these brokers are on US soil, or are owned by US companies, then the ban should extend to everyone’s data not being sold in this manner?

As of October 2023, Outlogic (formerly X-Mode Social) no longer exists as a separate company. It was acquired by Vertafore, a United States-based insurance technology company, in March 2023. However, Vertafore’s headquarters are located in Denver, Colorado, making the US the effective “country” of the data broker, albeit indirectly through its parent company.

It appears then to be a US owned company that is gathering and selling this data. The big question then is why is it being implied that they can still sell non-Americans data?

See https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ftc-bans-data-broker-from-selling-americans-location-data/

[deletemyinfonow]

Your résumé isn’t just on LinkedIn… it’s on data broker sites too.

❌ Scraped ❌ Sold ❌ Exposed for scams

The professional info you thought was safe? It’s now someone else’s product.

Take control with DeleteMyInfo™.

[digitalnaiv]

"Ich habe doch nichts zu verbergen" oder sie wissen genau, wo Du wann bei wem warst

"Ich habe doch nichts zu verbergen" ... Eine Recherche von netzpolitik.org und dem Bayerischen Rundfunk enthüllt, wie leicht Bewegungsdaten von Millionen Mobiltelefonen erworben und ausgewertet werden können. Haben wir wirklich alle nichts zu verbergen?

Und hier ist Teil 2 der Wochenschau in dem ich mich mit der Recherche von netzpolitik.org und dem BR beschäftige, bei dem das Rechercheteam 3,6 Milliarden Datensätze von rund 11 Millionen Handys kostenlos “besorgen” konnte. “Ich habe doch nichts zu verbergen”. Diesen Satz habe ich von Freunden und Bekannten so oft gehört, wenn ich sie darauf aufmerksam gemacht habe, wie Datenkraken ihre…

[osintelligence]

https://bit.ly/3QvtuoH - 📊 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has exposed significant concerns regarding the practices of Kochava, one of the world's largest mobile data brokers, in a recently unsealed court filing. The FTC's allegations reveal a disturbing pattern of unfair use and sale of sensitive data from hundreds of millions of people without their consent. The amended complaint by the FTC is seen as a major step in its mission to regulate data brokers and protect consumer privacy. #FTC #DataPrivacy #ConsumerProtection 🔍 Kochava is accused of collecting and disclosing an enormous amount of sensitive and identifying information about consumers. This includes precise geolocation data that can track individuals to sensitive locations, as well as personal details like names, home addresses, phone numbers, race, gender, and political affiliations. The FTC alleges that Kochava's practices invade consumer privacy and cause substantial harm. #DataSecurity #GeolocationTracking #PrivacyConcerns 📱 The data broker is also criticized for making it easy for advertisers to target customers based on sensitive and personal characteristics. This targeting can be highly specific, using various data points like political associations or current life circumstances. The FTC argues that such practices further invade privacy and lead to significant consumer harm. #TargetedAdvertising #EthicalConcerns #DigitalPrivacy 🛑 The FTC is seeking a permanent injunction to stop Kochava's alleged unfair use and sale of consumer data. US District Judge B. Lynn Winmill, in denying Kochava's motion to sanction the FTC, highlighted that the FTC's allegations are sufficient to continue the lawsuit. This decision underscores the seriousness of the FTC's charges and the potential implications for data privacy. #LegalAction #DataBrokerRegulation #FTCEnforcement 🔐 Kochava's argument that new privacy features in its database mitigate these concerns was invalidated by the court. The judge emphasized that updates made to Kochava’s database after the filing of the lawsuit do not negate the potential harm caused prior to these updates. This highlights the ongoing challenges in regulating and ensuring the ethical use of consumer data by large data brokers.

[riflebrass]

40 years ago you walk into a place. Give a firm handshake, maintain eye contact and you've got a job.

Today there's a sign in the window. "We are hiring. Inquire Within!' You go inside and they tell you to just go online. They don't even do in person applications anymore.

So you go online and waste half an hour on the application only to immediately get an automated rejection email. They weren't going to hire you to begin with but now they can sell your email address to a databroker for a little passive income.

OR

They never get back to you at all.

OR

You get an interview which they never bother to show up for.

OR

You do the interview, they say they'll get back to you, and they never do. If you reach out to them to follow up they get mad because you're impatient.

OR

They call you back for a second interview, then a third, then a fourth. If you just come in for one more interview maybe this time you'll get the job. You never do.

OR

6 months later they finally hit you up asking if you're still interested in the bullshit entry level position you interviewed for half a year ago. By now you've FINALLY found something else or it's too late and you're already homeless.

Then someone who hasn't had to apply for a job since Dubya was in office says you're unemployed because you're lazy. You need more gumption and need to actually look for a job. Just walk right in, make eye contact, have a firm handshake, and they'll hire you on the spot. It's that easy.

[where-the-water-flows]

If you know how to do it you can use someone’s phone number to find their full legal name and home address. It’s just a bit of Google and knowing what websites stores this kind of info. Saw your tags asking how a phone number could verify someone’s age

So, I appreciate you dropping into my askbox to pass that info on - genuinely, it's kind of you - and I can see how my tags came across, but what I actually meant wasn't 'how can you find info on someone just with their phone number??' -- I actually do exactly that kind of thing in my day job pretty regularly, and I have to conform to a lot of real strict ethic constraints that uh, bluntly, random discord moderators...do not.

What I was actually getting at is the fact that, assuming the hypothetical server is just using a phone number as age verification (and doing data broker/google search on that), how in the hell is it controlling for someone doing what people under the arbitrary age limit du jour have been doing since we started implementing this sort of check, ie, lying like rugs and supplying info for someone in their family/social circle instead who is older than [whatever age].

like. sure. maybe you get a phone number for age verification. awesome. plug that into your data broker/google/etc of choice, run your searches, and ok, it belongs to jane smith, 38 years old, accountant who lives in ballarat, she's totally fine to join the 18+ server! come on in jane, the smut is plentiful and the doves are extremely dead. Jane smith has a kid. jane smith's kid is 15. jane smith's kid isn't allowed in the server, because it's an 18+ only server.

jane smith's kid almost certainly knows their mum's mobile number.

how the hell can Hypothetical Server Mod control for 15 year old jane smith's kid putting in jane smith's mobile number instead of their own? and also, separately, how the hell is HSM dealing with the many -- many many many -- different privacy laws around the globe?

not just in terms of handling that sort of information on people (and also requesting it in the first place!), but also just. some countries you can get so much fucking info on someone! (the US. I'm talking about the US.)

some you can't. because privacy laws, because the info isn't publicly accessible, because it's not online and is only in hard copy at the local government office, because it's collated but only in a nonenglish language, because it's geolocked-- etc.

also, like. even if the hypothetical phone number brings up someone in the US, and also your hypothetical mod team has decided, y'know, fuck privacy laws, security of information and data ethics can take a long walk off a short pier, we're keeping this server 18+ or dying trying!

data brokers aren't...actually consistently what you would call...super accurate, or like, accurate at all. if you have a unique name, yeah, sure, you're probably kinda fucked! (assuming you're in, again, somewhere the data brokers focus) but like. if you're named something a little more common - say, james smith, or maria sanchez in the US- uh. well. there sure are a lot of people you could be, and some of them - most of them! - are over 18.

and ok, sure, a phone number is (usually) only associated with one person, but. you can get a lot of false positives, false negatives, and straight up 'we don't know 🤪', the latter of which is sometimes hidden by the databrokers going 'our best guess is that this person is: An Age!! somewhere between 0 and 200 years old. 😇'

again, I use this stuff for work, I can tell you exactly how inaccurate it can get as soon as you throw something like 'not based in the US/UK' or 'uses a nickname/multiple name formats' or 'isn't super online' or 'older than 65 and not turbo wealthy' at some of these - I've had more than one confidently tell me that [my wallet name] is an accountant based in darwin who makes horror films in alice springs on the side, and also, is 26, and had 2-3 kids with her husband Lauchlan.

literally none of these facts are true. like. even vaguely.

and that can of worms doesn't even get into if someone has requested to be removed from data broker databases and/or takes online privacy Very Seriously and/or is just fundamentally ungoogleable, which is...more common than you'd think. less common than you'd like, but more common than you think, even before google started enshittifying itself out of existence.

which is why when you're trying to do things like prove your identity to uhhh goverments, banks, etc, they want multiple forms of ID, one of which is usually a photo ID, none of which anyone should be sending to a random on discord, or, frankly, asking for from a random on discord, both bc my god privacy and security risk but also like. handling that information can actually have legal requirements!

anyway. extremely long ramble on the failings of databrokers over, I appreciate you reaching out to help explain and it was very kind of you anon, sorry that I have. uhhhh kind of a lot of professional feelings about data privacy and basic social engineering, by which I mean saying 'no I'm totally 18 pinkie swear' in the grand tradition of teens wanting to get into age locked areas ever, your forebears lied on LJ so you could lie on discord.