Is Your Privacy For Sale? Yes! Says Consumer Reports

The October issue of Consumer Reports unveils the unethical practices of commercial data brokers. The magazine believes companies like Choice Point, LexisNexis and Acxiom are making billions of dollars for themselves at a very high cost to you.

Here’s what they’re selling:

• Your social security number
• your phone numbers
• your credit card numbers
• prescription medication information
• where you shop
• your political leaning
• even your sexual orientation

Even worse, Consumer Reports’ report says they are selling your sensitive information to anyone with cash and sometimes the anyone in that statement are criminals looking to cause you harm.

The story notes we are all at risk of losing our privacy, of having our ID compromised through identity theft and to have our credit harmed by being reported as deadbeats and security risks when we have done nothing wrong.

Consumer Reports’ conclusion: federal laws don’t do enough to protect you.

• There is no way for you to find out what these companies are telling others about you.
• The accuracy of what they sell is rarely verified.
• It is almost impossible to correct the errors in the information being sold.