We are extending the deadline for comments about data brokers

On March 15, 2023, the CFPB launched a public inquiry into the data broker industry and the collection and sale of consumer information. To help ensure that the public has ample opportunity to share information, we are extending the deadline for comments until July 15, 2023. Your submissions will help us shed light on an industry that largely operates out of public view as well as inform our future work to ensure that data brokers comply with the law.

Data brokers is a term to describe those companies that collect, aggregate, sell, resell, license, or share our personal information with others. Data brokers include companies that people have a direct relationship with, as well as companies that people may not even know exist, but nonetheless possess data about them.

Data brokers collect information for a variety of purposes, including:

credit and insurance underwriting;
employment decisions;
determining eligibility for government benefits;
fraud detection;
criminal background checks;
identity verification;
people search databases;
marketing and advertising; and
building and refining proprietary algorithms.
Data brokers collect or share a vast range of information, often building profiles of individuals by delving into the details of consumers' everyday interactions, including credit card purchases and web browsing activity. Data brokers also collect other types of sensitive and intimate personal information such as genetic and health information, military status, religious affiliation, financial records, and geolocation data.

The CFPB is aware that there is still relatively limited public understanding of data brokers’ operations and other impacts, but that people are concerned about the lack of control over how data about them is collected, shared, and used.

Sharing your experiences with data brokers
We want stakeholders from across the marketplace to share data, analysis, research, and other information about data brokers. We also want to hear from people who have interacted with data brokers or been affected by their practices. We are particularly interested in the unique ways in which data brokers interact with or impact specific consumer populations, such as older adults, servicemembers, students, workers, immigrants, low-income consumers, and underserved or vulnerable consumers.

We’re interested in hearing about:

The types of data that data brokers collect and sell, along with details about their collection methods
The types of consumer harms and risks caused by data broker business practices, as well as any benefits
Whether people can avoid having their data collected
Whether and how data brokers protect and safeguard personal data
Individual experiences with attempting to remove, correct, or regain control of personal data
The CFPB welcomes all submissions until the comment period ends on July 15, 2023.

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