If you've ever wondered: How can they know so much about me?
It's probably because of data brokers.
You know those "data enrichment partners" they are mentioning as vaguely as possible in the privacy policies you didn't read?
To learn more about data brokers, I highly recommend watching this excellent interview with @yaelwrites by @privacyguides :
TechCrunch: How the rewards app Freecash scammed its way to the top of the app stores. “The app has been marketed as a way to make money just by scrolling TikTok — and jumped to the top of the app stores in recent months, peaking at the No. 2 position in the U.S. App Store. In truth, Freecash pays users to play mobile games — all the while collecting a heaping amount of sensitive data, […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/04/20/techcrunch-how-the-rewards-app-freecash-scammed-its-way-to-the-top-of-the-app-stores/@evan They do. But when the #DataBrokers and ad/message pushers have their own geofences, we see shitty influences (measles! Alberta separation! yay!) entering our communities as a result of interaction with their targets. We have a responsibility to protect each other, and to be sensible about the scale at which we can be effective.
It wasn't always like this. It has accelerated dramatically since #Harper's gutting of #Canadian content regs and the advent of social media targeting.
RE: https://tldr.nettime.org/@remixtures/116405287961261735
This is absolutely vile. It needs to be exposed, outlawed, and punished.
#labor #labour #exploitation #salary #surveillancecapitalism #privacy #labourrights #jobmarket #databrokers #negotiation #LaborAbuse #evil #workersrights #futureofwork
The Third-Party Doctrine says that once your data is with a bank, phone company, cloud service, or app, the state can argue you have lost your privacy interest in it. In a world built on third-party services, that becomes a surveillance loophole.
Should using modern tools really mean giving up your rights?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iakgpq4p9yM
#Privacy #FourthAmendment #Surveillance #DataBrokers #DigitalRights
#databrokers already know your secrets
Wisconsinites Can Keep Watching #Porn After Governor Vetoes #AgeVerification Bill
Evers wrote that the bill doesn’t prevent platforms from giving collected personal data to third parties, such as the government or #dataBrokers. “This is a violation of personal privacy,” he wrote.
#privacy #pii #security #wisconsin #veto
https://www.404media.co/wisconsin-age-verification-bill-vetoed/
The holidays are over. Time for a reset. 🌱
Episode 20 of #ImpracticalPrivacy isn't just about deleting accounts; it's about a "Spring Reset" for your digital identity.
We cover:
🔹 How to find the "ghosts" in your email archives
🔹 The "Poison the Well" tactic for stubborn deletions
🔹 Why your old security questions are a ticking time bomb
Don't carry last year's digital baggage into the new season.
Listen: https://ImpracticalPrivacy.com
#CyberSecurity #SpringReset #Privacy #DataBrokers #Fediverse
Engadget: OkCupid settles FTC case on alleged misuse of its users’ personal data . “According to the lawsuit, the FTC accused OkCupid of inappropriately sharing personal user data that includes photos and location info with a third party company, Clarifai, which offers AI-powered software for uses like facial recognition and content moderation.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/04/05/engadget-okcupid-settles-ftc-case-on-alleged-misuse-of-its-users-personal-data/🚨 The FBI is back to buying location data on Americans, no warrant required
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the agency resumed purchasing bulk location histories from data brokers. When Sen. Ron Wyden pressed him on ending the practice, Patel replied: “We use all tools… to do our mission.” No commitment to stop.
The surveillance state doesn’t need a warrant when it can just swipe a credit card
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/18/fbi-is-buying-location-data-to-track-us-citizens-kash-patel-wyden/
#DigitalPrivacy #FBI #SurveillanceState #DataBrokers #WarrantlessTracking
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ResearchBuzz: Firehose
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Michael J Burgess
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