Privacy Predators: Big Tech's Sneaky Game of Hide and Seek with Your Personal Data

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Tech giants are playing a high-stakes game of digital cat and mouse, and your personal data is the prize. In a shocking investigation, data brokers have been caught red-handed trying to hide their privacy opt-out pages from Google search results, making it nearly impossible for everyday users to protect their digital footprints.
The Privacy Hustle
U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan isn’t having any of this corporate shenanigans. After discovering that at least 35 firms are deliberately obscuring their data deletion tools, she’s calling out top players like IQVIA Digital, Comscore, and Telesign Corporation. These companies have been playing a crafty game of digital hide-and-seek, burying opt-out information so deep that even Sherlock Holmes would struggle to find it.
The Data Dealer’s Dirty Secret
Behind the scenes, these data brokers are running a multibillion-dollar industry that trades personal information like baseball cards. They’re compiling detailed dossiers packed with everything from your location history to your political leanings, then selling these digital profiles to the highest bidder. Targeted ads, law enforcement surveillance - nothing is off-limits.
Fight Back or Get Tracked
The stakes are real, especially for vulnerable populations like domestic violence survivors. With intelligence agencies preparing to create centralized data marketplaces and the Trump administration quietly abandoning protections, your personal information is more exposed than ever. Senator Hassan’s message is clear: these companies must make privacy tools accessible and transparent.
The digital world might feel like the Wild West, but some heroes are fighting to restore our right to privacy. Stay vigilant, tech warriors.
AUTHOR: mp
SOURCE: CalMatters