I saw an article awhile ago that the police just straight up bought ad-network data about someone they were prosecuting without needing a warrant. Is there anyway to know what info ad networks have on me out there?
I know there are databrokers you can query to see what they have kn you, but those are all public records from I could find so far
Move to the EU :)
I mean, if they use your feedback to fine-tune the Algorithm like most social media do, don’t expect to get that
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Laughs then cries Pedro Pascal.gif
Depending on where you live (and therefore what legal protections you have) you can demand your details. In the UK this is the right of access and is exerted by making a subject access request (SAR).
Sure but who do you make the subject access request to ? Facebook Google Microsoft Amazon etc individually ?
Yes exactly. It is really cumbersome as you can’t be sure who has your data an who not.
Pretty much. I have seen a few services pop up recently that will do this for you, but that costs money, and is of course including a third party. This is why prevention is largely better than cure.
Many, many data brokers don’t “sell” user data the way you seem to imply. If you collected user data, you’re in one or more of three categories:
- You have a business model based on user data, like advertising, so your goal is to collect as much data, of as high quality as possible, to make your business more effective;
- You have a completely different core business model but it enables you to collect data and you might as well monetize it;
- You’re a broker, an intermediary who’s acquiring data from (2) and selling it to (1).
Brokers may be able to sell you data about you, but they typically don’t care much about making sure it’s you. It’s not their core business, and they may have partial data that is about you, but they’re not able to tell it’s about you. A lot of data just doesn’t have a neat name/address/phone number. Maybe it has your IP address, and companies in (1) will make that connection immediately, but brokers have little reason to care.
Data producers (2) maaayyyybe could, but they really won’t want because (a) you’re too small and they only negotiate data in bulk (b) they’d rather not tell the public what they collect exactly.
Data consumers (1) have zero reason to sell the data. They’re in the business of augmenting that data and classifying it to know what’s junk and what’s reliable. If their competitors can get their hands on this precious secret sauce, they’ll eat them alive. So they keep this data jealously.
There is vertical integration, especially 1+3 - that’s what e.g. Google is all about, use a data-generating vertical (search, web analytics, email) to inform their data-using vertical (ads). Those are simultaneously the data hoarders with probably the most data about you, and the ones least likely to want to share that data with you. It costs them an entire free service to collect the data, and they’re the only company in the world with it, there’s very little reason for them to give up that advantage.
So yeah, it’s unlikely you’ll get anything of value. You’re not relevant enough in their economics, sorry.
Thank you for the context, this is really helpful!
Does this sound like what you’re after? https://www.onaudience.com/resources/how-to-buy-audience-data/ Let us know how you go.
Looks like this is more B2B and requires you to contact them to purchase data. Who knows if they even have data on me.
Someone made a comment here that, from what I understand, that it would be almost impossible to accomplish this
I guess it depends where you are situated.
Some countries have protections that you can just “ask” a particular site what data they have collected on you. I think that’s as private as it can go.
Another option are those “shady” data brokers. John Oliver did a segment before on how he got some “public” data to possibly ID US lawmakers.
This would be really interesting if you documented your attempts.
Well right now I’ve given up lmao. If I ever manage to stumble on new tools/findings I’ll try to update here. Someone made a good summary of the business relationships in one of the comments (the long one)
Thanks for the heads up. Interesting read. Pretty much confirms my suspicion that collecting data isn’t really about you, it’s just the patterns they care about.
Which also confirms my recollection of that article that talked about the police using the data to add story points for their prosecution. You just need a few data points that you’re sure is true and potentially de-identify the bulk data (with some confidence, if you know the suspect’s data is there).
https://www.pogo.org/analysis/police-quietly-obtain-private-location-data-with-a-checkbook-and-not-a-warrant on police not needing a warrant
Greatly depends on where you live. More corrupt states’ officials sell it left and right. I recall cops bootlegging CDs with a base of driver licenses, registry info and what’s not. Guess most of them moved into darkweb\TG now. You may ask those whose life depends on it although they don’t naturally have access, like journos, private investigators or loan-sharks if you know any of those.
I’ve requested it from amazon three times in the last three months and haven’t heard anything back
Who is they?
Ad agencies, data brokers and such
