The Data Brokers
After watching these 60 Minutes videos, discuss how you feel about the business of selling private information:
1. Should it be legal? People willingly put their information into questionnaires and online surveys, so marketers or "data brokers" are just using information that people have put out on the internet.
2. What, if anything, should be done about the practice?
3. If you've filled out a survey or shared personal information with a company, did you have any idea that they'd be able to sell your information?
4. From the second video, what do you think about the steps the woman takes to protect her privacy?
Link: "How To Defend Your Privacy Online"
When you download or go on a sit make sure your being save, anyone can get any information about anything so someone, when on a sit think about what your doing so you can continue being safe.
ReplyDeletei agree you should always make sure to only go on appropriate websites and never give your information to anyone online.
DeleteI have gathered the fact that when you fill out a survey or share your personal info that it can easily be tracked. This is why you must be very careful when giving out your info online. Sometimes it may seem like it is a secure site but really, its not. It is an eye opener to see how easily they can sell your information without your consent.
ReplyDeleteI agree, be careful when filling out online surveys. Do not put any information online that you don't want people to know . It could be easily recored and/or they could be tracking your location .
DeleteI agree, you also need to know that after that video people get your information from just about everywhere and with the surveys, that is you intentionally putting information out there.
DeleteI feel like if people are willingly putting their information in surveys, that information should be okay to share. But if its just off an app that is constantly tracking your phone, that should be changed. I feel like their should be strict laws about what information can and can't be taken. And I have never filled out a survey. I feel like it was a little extreme, but some of the stuff she did was a good idea. I am just saying I don't think I would go to those extents.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sean, if the company states that they will be using the information that the person has filled in, it's okay. If an app is constantly tracking your phone, that is a totally different situtation, and therefore companies should have strict laws about the information they can gather.
DeleteYou're right Sean if people are putting their information on a survey they should be okay with sharing it. If they aren't ok with it but they still share it that is their own fault and they should've thought about it more. And, no an app should never be allowed to track your phone and their should strict laws about it like you said!
DeleteI do not think that it should be legal. This is violating people's privacy and if the data brokers do want to collect information, the website should inform you that whatever you are about to do on the website it is going to collect and record and sell to other companies to use .
ReplyDeleteyes, it is unfair to the person that they don't even know that their personal info is being recorded and sold. I think that their should be an easier way to be notified if you are on a site where your info will be stolen. I think that if the person that stole your info gets caught, there should be bigger consequences than there is now.
DeleteI agree with Shanaya, you should be able to know sooner when something to do with your info has happened. All these problems can be caught faster if people are notified.
Deletei agree they should tell you if they are going to take your information from you
DeleteI think that people taking and selling your personal information without your consent is wrong and it should be illegal. Some people do not want their information going around anyway. I think they should have to ask to collect your information and ask permission to sell it. I think it is unfair to not have a choice whether to have it out there or not. I think if you actually had a choice it would be different.
ReplyDeleteI agree, people gotta be safe when it comes to information
DeleteI think the woman took the steps a bit too far in my opinion. I think you should be safe but you shouldn't have to put your phone in like a metal bag.
ReplyDeleteYeah seriously. She was right on the edge of just being crazy. She seems like the person who wears a tinfoil hat on a regular basis.
DeleteI agree Brooke, the woman took very extreme measures to protect her privacy. I feel like there were other things she could have done that wouldn't have been so extreme like using a fake name.
DeleteYes, the steps she took were not things than many people would do.
DeleteI feel like the woman took extreme steps to protect her information. Personally I would have never gone as far as keeping my phone in a bag that blocks all signals. Yes, it's not right that they collect your personal information without you knowing but there are other steps that you can do to protect your information that aren't as extreme. You can install a private browser like she did and use other online identities to keep your information safe.
ReplyDeleteI agree I feel as though that was a little too extravagant as to go as far as blocking your electronics from all internet signals.
DeleteI agree, she went a little to far with the blocking phone signals. I wouldn't have taken those precautions either.
DeleteI agree, I feel like that woman was a little too dramatic. She did not need to go as far as blocking the phone signals. Like if you're that scared of it don't have a phone and don't use social media.
DeleteYa she did go a little over board. If your to scared of just creating a email account of your real name, why have a phone???
DeleteI think it is very scary and an invasion of a person's privacy for companies and data brokers to look at and sell a person's information. I think it is wrong and I'd even go as far as to say that data brokers and companies that do it should be punished. I think such activity should be reported to the police and treated as a misdemeanor, if not a felony, with up to a year of jail time and permanently go on the person's criminal record! The person should also be fired from the company they worked for or if the whole company was using online information it should be shutdown!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kaitlyn, it is an absolute invasion of a person's privacy for companies and data brokers to look and sell a persons information.
DeleteYes, there should be bigger consequences when someone is caught stealing and selling someone else's personal information. The person who put their info on the internet should get at least some sort of notification saying that someone is attempting to steal their info.
DeleteI think that data brokers are way too shady. It's not fair that they can just take the personal data from people and sell it off to these businesses without permission. The way these businesses use and track our data is practically stealing and something should be done about it. I don't care how it happens but I want a choice in the matter. At least tell me when my data is being monitored, otherwise I don't have any control over it.
ReplyDeleteYou're exactly right Joe! it is shady and unfair. I agree that something should be done and we should be aware of when and even how our data is monitored! I think we should also be told the honest reason of why it is being monitored and what the businesses motives are when selling the information and we should have the right to say "no" if we choose!
DeleteI agree, I think that they are shady because they are selling our personal information. It isnt fair because we should at least have a choice whether its out there or not. Maybe some people would be fine with it and some arent but that should be our decision and not theirs.
DeleteAgreed, if someone is getting in my phone or computer I got least wanna know so i can try to do something about it.
DeleteJoe is right, it basically is like stealing our information and something should be done about it. They should make a law to protect us, but while they still can get our personal information be very careful about what you do and put online.
DeleteI agree that if they are doing it without us being aware it is practically stealing and there should be some kind of law formed to protect us of that.
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ReplyDeleteI feel like when people take surveys online they don't always realize what they're actually doing. They don't know that every piece of information you put online stays there forever. But also what the data brokers are doing should be illegal, when we look for things on the internet it should be private nobody else should be able to see it, also we don't want adds popping up every time we look at something new.
ReplyDeleteThe surveys are voluntary though. I think it's completely fair. And data brokering can be helpful in a lot of ways. If you are looking for something online and can't find it, an ad could appear that will help you find it. However the business is WAY too shady. I just wish they were more transparent about it.
DeleteI agree, I also find it obnoxious when ads pop up when you are trying to do something online. Ads can be very annoying especially when we are doing something important.
DeleteData brokers are untrustworthy they shouldn't take information from you if you don't want it being given to people. You should be able to control what they know and don't know about you.
ReplyDeleteI agree, they shouldn't be taking your information without your consent. It's scary not knowing what t is used for.
DeleteI think that is the right way to go again their life, there discussion.
DeleteI don't think this should be legal because it invade people's person privacy. It should be somebody's own choice whether they want to share their information or not. Some people might not even realize that they are putting out their information so I think the companies that are putting out these surveys, questionnaires, etc. should notify the reader of what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteI agree, you should have the choice to let your information be known. Some things shouldn't be out in the open when you never know who could take it.
DeleteI think it should be illegal because when people put things online most of the time they don’t know that there is someone taking there information and putting it into a file to sell to people. Its not okay for someone to be out there making money by selling your personal information.
ReplyDeleteIt should me illegal to sell someones information without the company even telling that person. I mean its there life, there decision.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it should be legal because why do data brokers or anyone really need every little information about a person.
ReplyDeleteThey can also buy things without you knowing.
ReplyDeleteIt is scary that they may know everything about you without your consent.
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