Big Data Brokers: They Know Everything About You and Sell it to the Highest Bidder

Big Data Brokers: They Know Everything About You and Sell it to the Highest Bidder
Lois Beckett - Pro Publica

Data companies are scooping up enormous amounts of information about almost every American. They sell information about whether you're pregnant or divorced or trying to lose weight, about how rich you are and what kinds of cars you have.

Regulators and some in Congress have been taking a closer look at these so-called data brokers — and are beginning to push the companies to give consumers more information and control over what happens to their data.

But many people still don't even know that data brokers exist.

Here's a look at what we know about the consumer data industry.