INFORMATION ASYMMETRY AND DATA BROKERS
UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUALS’ UNAWARENESS OF PERSONAL DATA COMMERCIALIZATION PRACTICES
Keywords:
unawareness, data brokers, data commercializationAbstract
Data brokers are companies or entities that operate within the data economy through the collection, processing, and commercialization of personal data. Despite playing a significant role across various economic sectors, their activities remain largely invisible to data subjects, highlighting the need for a better understanding of their operations. In this context, this study aimed to identify the operational characteristics of data brokers, seeking to understand their business practices and the sources from which they obtain the data used in their commercial activities. This research is basic in nature, with a qualitative approach and an exploratory objective. The methodological procedures included documentary research and content analysis based on documents produced by institutions related to the topic. Atlas.ti software was used for data organization, coding, and interpretation. The findings indicate that data brokers collect personal data indirectly and employ processes of data integration, segmentation, and inference, supported by technical mechanisms and predictive models. These operations enable the transformation of data into valuable informational assets, widely used for marketing purposes and financial risk mitigation. The study contributes to a better understanding of the practices that underpin the activities of data brokers within the data economy and their implications for the circulation of personal information.
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