Before we continue with our online privacy & security series, let’s take a minute to review all the information we’ve discussed so far…
I’ve talked about exactly what online security is and gave you an overview of how you can protect your personal data.
Then I talked about how some of the biggest companies that you do business with and trust with your information have already been breached and lost your info.
I followed that up by giving you some options if you were actually a victim of one of those breaches.
And lastly, I gave you an overview of credit monitoring & ID theft protection options.
So, if you have not already read all this information, you may want to jump back in our series and ‘catch up’ – you can find those articles here:
Online Security 101, Data Breaches Put Your Personal Info At Risk, Your Options Once Your Personal Data is Compromised & Credit Monitoring & ID Theft Protection.
Customer or Product
You may have heard the phrase “If you’re not paying, you’re not the customer, you’re the product.”
It was the phrase behind the development of the Brave Browser.
This statement has never been more true than today.
However, whether it’s your favorite social media site or online retailer, the likelihood is high that they are collecting data about you.
You might be thinking, “what type of data are they collecting about me?”
I’m glad you asked…
Although if I were to list all the data they collected about you and your online activities, you would be reading this for the next week… but, let’s give you a taste…
Some of the more common information collected about you include things like… what websites you visit & how long you are there… where your mouse hovers while you’re there… what browser you’re using… your IP address & what type of digital device you are using.
In 2026, this has become far more invasive.
They now collect your voice and biometric data from smart assistants, your facial recognition data from photos & videos, detailed health and fitness data from wearables, and even vehicle telematics from your connected car.
If you happen to be using a mobile device, they record not only the type of device but if you are sitting or moving… if the phone is being held & in what direction it is moved.
Concerned yet?
Pissed off yet?
Well, let’s give you a bit more… they monitor what you search for online… they monitor your emails & instant messages (even the ones that supposedly delete themselves)…
Yes… Facebook, X, Instagram… they see all those pics you send… they monitor what you spend your money on… what time of day you are online… what time of day you make purchases online…
Sadly, all of this is just the tip of the iceberg!
You might now be thinking what could be worse than that?
Well, more than likely, these entities collecting all of this data about you are doing so because you are the product.
They are selling all this information to whoever is ready, willing and able to pay for it.
So, do you want to hear more?
Right now, I’m visualizing you yelling at me saying “NO!”
As much as I can appreciate why you do not want to know more… I would be remiss if I didn’t give you all of the information…
Data Brokers & the AI Revolution
Now that you’ve come to the uncomfortable realization that all of your online info and activity is being meticulously collected and sold off, here’s the harsh truth… there are a plethora of companies whose entire business model revolves around buying up as much data as possible.
Enter data brokers.
But in 2026, their role has evolved… it’s no longer just about selling ads.
Data brokers are now a critical, often hidden, part of the AI training data supply chain.
The vast, aggregated datasets they compile are sold to tech giants and startups to train large language models (LLMs) and other AI systems.
Your conversations, your search history, your interests… your entire digital footprint… is being packaged and sold as the literal fuel for the artificial intelligence that is shaping our future.
You are not just the product for advertisers… you’re the raw material for AI.
Data Brokers
So, what is a data broker?
Data brokers are, simply put, companies that aggregate, store and sell personal information.
Chances are, you’ve never even heard of them since they never have direct interaction with the people they are monitoring.
They act as middle men between data sources and data consumers.
The four main fields of data brokerage are marketing & advertisement… risk mitigation… fraud detection & people search.
Marketing Data Brokers
The field you are most likely to hear about in the media are marketing and advertising data brokers.
These firms are arguably, the ‘best of the worst’…
These are the guys who track your search history, your recent purchases, and any other breadcrumbs you leave online to market more effectively to you.
Have you ever found yourself inundated with advertisements for camping equipment after you ordered some replacement tent stakes on Amazon?
These are examples of ways that companies use the data that you have left to advertise for items and services they think you are more likely to purchase.
Risk Mitigation Data Brokers
As you might imagine, there is no guarantee that this data is just going to the people who choose what banner ads you see.
Risk mitigation data brokers generally work with banks or insurance companies.
They look at your lifestyle and purchase history to aid these data consumers in their decisions when you apply for a loan or attempt to purchase insurance.
If your personal data indicates that you are a healthy, cautious person then you might get a better deal.
If the demographics you fall into have higher likelihoods of poor credit or risky decision making, this data may work against you.
Fraud Detection Data Brokers
Data brokers that work with fraud detection, like those that do risk mitigation, work primarily with banks.
They too are arguably the ‘good guys’ of the data broker world.
They work to prevent fraud whenever you apply for a loan or a credit card.
If, for example, the information provided to a bank regarding a loan application appears to be inaccurate or illegitimate (i.e. stolen), then the bank is less likely to grant the loan… Thereby protecting the bank from giving money to an individual that is likely to just disappear with it.
People Search Data Brokers & Real-World Danger
The last type of data broker, people search sites, is the one that the average internet user is most likely to have some amount of experience with.
This type of data broker includes sites like Spokeo.
Websites of this type allow people who are willing to pay to search and look-up someone’s information.
This information often includes home address, phone number, associated email addresses, employment details and even in some cases, a person’s social security number.
In 2026, the threat from these sites has escalated.
They make it trivially easy for malicious actors to find your personal information, leading to doxxing and real-world harassment.
This is especially dangerous for the cryptocurrency community.
This brings us to a new, terrifying threat: the wrench attack.
This is a form of physical coercion where criminals use data from people-search sites to locate a crypto holder, then threaten them with physical violence to force them to transfer their assets.
It’s a grim reminder that in the world of crypto, your digital security lapse can become a real-world, physical threat.
How to Fight Back
Realizing that in this day and age, there is a demand for information about you and your habits can be sobering.
However, it can also provide you with the edge you need to ensure that you are proactive in your approach to your online activities.
Starting with sharing your information with as few businesses and entities as possible is great, but more aggressive actions are required.
Here is how you can start to fight back against data brokers:
1. Use Data Removal Services: The most effective, but paid, option is to use a service that specializes in finding and removing your information from hundreds of data broker sites automatically.
These services continuously monitor and re-submit removal requests as your data reappears.
I recommend Icogni [INSERT ICOGNI AFFILIATE LINK]
2. Manual Opt-Out: If you prefer a DIY approach, you can opt out manually. Most data brokers are legally required to provide an opt-out process on their websites.
This is incredibly time-consuming, as you have to visit each site individually and follow their specific procedure.
A simple search for “how to opt out of [Data Broker Name]” is a good start.
3. Search Yourself: Run a search for your own name on the major people-search sites. This will give you a clear picture of what information is publicly available and which brokers you need to target first.
4. Use Privacy Tools: Your first line of defense is to stop giving them new data.
Use a privacy-centric browser like Brave… an encrypted email service like Protonmail… and always connect with a VPN like Torguard (save 50%for LIFE) or a DVPN like Deeper Network to mask your IP address and location.
By taking these steps, you can begin to reclaim your privacy and make it much harder for the data brokerage industry to profit from your digital life.
