Data Broker

A data broker is a company whose business is collecting personal information about individuals from public records, social media, online activity, purchase histories, and other sources — then aggregating, packaging, and selling that data to advertisers, employers, government agencies, insurers, and anyone else willing to pay for it. Most people have never heard of the companies that hold detailed files on them; data brokers operate almost entirely out of public view.

What it means

A data broker profile can include your name, home address (historical and current), family members, phone numbers, email addresses, estimated income, political affiliation, religion, consumer interests, social media profiles, purchasing history, criminal records, and physical characteristics. Companies like Acxiom, LexisNexis, and Spokeo maintain records on hundreds of millions of people. This data is bought by companies building advertising audiences, by insurance companies assessing risk, and — after revelations about data broker sales to law enforcement — by police agencies conducting surveillance without warrants.

How it works on Gab

Gab does not sell user data to data brokers. Gab funds operations through GabPRO, Gab Ads, and community investment — advertising revenue without packaging and selling user files to brokers.

Related terms

Data brokers assemble profiles using data from tracking pixels, third-party cookies, and public records. Their market is the adtech ecosystem. The economic model is surveillance capitalism.