A data broker is a company that collects personal information about consumers from various sources, then sells or licenses that data to other businesses for marketing, research, or verification purposes.
Active data brokers worldwide
Annual market value
Has data in broker databases
Per person on average
Data brokers operate as invisible middlemen in the digital economy, collecting and selling personal information on a massive scale.
Data brokers are companies that specialize in collecting, aggregating, and analyzing personal information about individuals from multiple sources. They create detailed profiles of consumers and sell this information to other businesses for various purposes including marketing, risk assessment, fraud prevention, and background checks.
Unlike companies you directly interact with (like social media platforms or retailers), data brokers typically collect information about you without your direct knowledge or consent, operating largely behind the scenes in the digital economy.
Gather information from public records, websites, apps, surveys, loyalty programs, and purchase transactions across multiple sources.
Clean, organize, and combine data from different sources to create comprehensive profiles with demographics, behaviors, and preferences.
License or sell processed data to marketers, advertisers, employers, landlords, and other businesses for targeted campaigns and decisions.
Data brokers collect an extensive range of personal information, creating detailed digital profiles of virtually every consumer.
Voter registrations, property records, court filings
Public posts, profiles, check-ins, connections
Phone books, business listings, professional networks
Purchase data from stores, loyalty programs
Cookies, pixels, browsing behavior
Information voluntarily provided for rewards
Acxiom, one of the largest data brokers, maintains profiles on over 2.5 billion people worldwide. They collect data from over 7,000 sources and can predict consumer behavior with remarkable accuracy. For example, they might know:
Data brokers sell personal information to a wide range of industries and organizations, each with different motivations and use cases.
Largest Buyers • 60% of Market
Show relevant ads based on interests and behavior
Group consumers by demographics and preferences
Send physical mail to likely customers
Risk Assessment • 20% of Market
Assess creditworthiness for loans and cards
Identify suspicious activities and patterns
Offer appropriate financial products
Background Checks • 10% of Market
Verify employment and education history
Evaluate social media and online presence
Check for criminal records and violations
Risk Evaluation • 10% of Market
Set insurance rates based on risk factors
Assess neighborhood and property values
Evaluate rental applicants' reliability
Data prices vary significantly based on the type of information and its accuracy. Here's what companies typically pay:
Note: Prices are per person and can vary significantly based on data quality and exclusivity
The sale of your personal data affects you in ways you might not realize:
Data brokers have detailed profiles on virtually everyone
A $200+ billion industry built on personal information
Current laws provide limited protection
Contact brokers directly to remove your data
Use services that automate opt-out processes
Monitor new brokers and changing regulations
These are some of the largest companies collecting and selling personal information:
2.5B+ profiles
Risk solutions
Credit & marketing
Email marketing
Data brokers are powerful intermediaries in the digital economy who profit from collecting and selling your personal information. While their practices are largely legal, understanding how they operate is the first step toward protecting your privacy.
Knowledge is power. The more you understand about data brokers, the better equipped you are to make informed decisions about your digital privacy.
Now that you understand what data brokers are, explore the differences between data brokers and data providers, or learn about data broker registries.