Data brokers

Long Read

unhealthy diet cover picture with empty plate and title

An unhealthy diet of targeted ads: an investigation in to how the diet industry exploits our data

Companies selling diet programmes are using tests to lure users. Those tests encourage users to share sensitive personal data, including about their mental health. But what happens to the data? We investigated to find out.

Long Read

A pair of blue baby shoes in a wheat field.

How a company illegally exploited the data of 14 million mothers and babies

If you’re in the UK you may know Bounty as the company that distribute packs of samples to pregnant women at midwife appointments. They’re also the ones that were found to have illegally shared the data of over 14 million mums & babies with 39 companies.

Frequently Asked Questions

human made of data points and circles, triangles, squares

Q&A on UK regulator's action on data brokers

The UK data protection regulator took action against three credit reference agencies. Here we explain why it's important and what's next.

News & Analysis

UK data regulator takes enforcement action to rein in data brokers' use of people's personal data

In a landmark decision that shines a light on widespread data protecton failings by the entire data broker industry, the ICO has today taken enforcement action against Experian, based in part on a complaint PI made in 2018.

Advocacy

Challenging Data Exploitation in Political Campaigning: PI Recommendations.

These recommendations identify actions for governments, regulators, legislators, political parties and companies to help prevent data exploitation in political campaigning.

Video

Public opinion about data-driven election campaigning in the UK

Immediately after the UK general election in December 2019, we worked with ORG to poll people about ‘data-driven political campaigning’. We found that most people oppose the use of targeted ads during elections, and oppose election spending when the source of funding is unknown.

Explainer

7+1 tips on how to make the most out of your DSAR

Here are a few suggested tips, based on our own experience with Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs). This is based on DSARs under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but we hope our tips may be useful in other jurisdictions too.

Long Read

2020: A Facebook user's Odyssey?

Join us on a journey to try to solve the mystery behind the advertisers who have uploaded our personal data to Facebook but with whom we've never interacted with before.

Report

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What do Led Zeppelin, Cisco and Dr Oetker have in common? Facebook says they share our data with them

A PI investigation into advertisers we had never heard of who upload our personal data on Facebook to target us.

News & Analysis

Why we're concerned about profiling and micro-targeting in elections.

There is now an ecosystem that drives voter profiling and targeted messages, often known as micro-targeting, that accompany modern political campaigning globally. The targeted ad-supported internet is made up of thousands of companies that track and profile us all 24 hours a day- not just during election time.

Case Study

…it protects our freedom of thought

Everyone has the right to think and say what they like and no one should forbid it.

Video

Tell companies to delete your data!

A short video as we launch our campaign against data brokers.