Data brokering is not new, the Facebook/Cambridge analytics saga made that clear. What has changed, however, is the regulatory landscape. With more data in circulation than ever and AI hungry for personal information, organisations need to understand the rules of engagement.
What Is data brokering?
A data broker collects personal information and sells, licenses or shares it with third parties. The individuals whose data is traded typically have no relationship with the broker – and may not even know their information is being handled this way. Brokers source data from loyalty schemes, social media, cookies, mobile apps and purchased datasets.
Before the internet, direct marketers built mailing lists from public records and surveys. Credit reference agencies have operated for over a century. But the digital era has dramatically increased the granularity, volume and accessibility of broker data. A modern broker may hold thousands of data points on a single person – demographics,
