Ever tapped a loyalty card, bought something online, or asked Siri for directions? Somebody, somewhere, is collecting that data – often so they can buy it and sell it, like any other product. There are even dedicated 'data brokers' who specialise in this murky and lucrative trade. We investigate who gathers your data, and where it ends up.
Who has your data
Who has your data
And how did they get it?
Articles
Why the federal government must act urgently on privacy reform
CHOICE is among 27 advocates and researchers calling for stronger consumer protections from data breaches and misuse.
Medical centres forcing patients to share their personal data
Our Medical, a chain of medical centres, charges patients more if they don't sign up to their app and rewards program.
Retail tech and how it's affecting you
What you need to know about emerging trends in retail technology.
How much personal data is your smart TV collecting – and what can you do about it?
Expert tips for protecting your personal information when you watch TV.
Why companies can keep your data forever
In Australia, your rights to have a company erase your data are very limited.
Op-ed: Smart TVs are watching what you watch – and selling your data to advertisers
Interactive television and the privacy risk to consumers.
Buy now, pay later providers move into the data business
How BNPL providers, like Afterpay, Humm, Klarna and Zip are using and sharing your personal data for profit.
Browser fingerprinting and the death of cookies
Third-party cookies may be on the way out, but a new tracking technology has already sprung up in their place.
What are loyalty schemes like Flybuys and Everyday Rewards doing with your data?
How the data you hand over at the checkout can be shared and sold to businesses you've never dealt with.
How and why Windows 10 tracks your location data
Just how much does Microsoft know about your movements?
How and why Twitter tracks your location data
Where you go and what you do are data points that sell to you.
How and why Facebook tracks your location data
Learn how Facebook tracks where you've been and how you can control it.
How and why Google tracks your location data
Google tracks and saves your location data mostly for advertising, but there are other reasons, too.
Personal alarms that leave your data exposed
CHOICE testing reveals widespread information insecurity.