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Meaning & use

data broker

noun·Advancedbusiness

Last updated

UK/ˈdeɪtə ˈbrəʊkə/
US/ˈdeɪtə ˈbroʊkər/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A company that collects personal information about many people from various sources and sells or licenses it to other organizations.

    Grammar: Countable: a data broker, several data brokers.

    Patterns

    • sell to a data broker
    • a data broker collects something

    A data broker had compiled a profile of her shopping habits without her knowledge.

    Lawmakers want data brokers to tell people what they collect.

    Advertisers often buy lists from a data broker.

  2. nouncountablebusiness

    A person or business that arranges the sale and exchange of datasets between other parties.

    Grammar: Neutral business use, with less focus on personal privacy.

    Patterns

    • data broker for something

    The data broker connected the research team with a seller of weather records.

    A small data broker helps firms find and license datasets.

    She works as a data broker in the financial sector.

Word forms

pluraldata brokers

Common combinations

sell to a data broker
The app sold users' locations to a data broker.
regulate data brokers
The state plans to regulate data brokers more strictly.
data broker registry
The data broker registry lists firms that sell personal information.
opt out of data brokers
You can opt out of some data brokers through their websites.

Synonyms and how they differ

information broker
Information broker is an older, broader phrase and does not always involve digital personal data.
data aggregator
A data aggregator gathers and combines data, while a data broker emphasizes the buying and selling.
data seller
Data seller is a plain description, but data broker implies an intermediary in the market.

Word family

broker noun
someone who arranges deals between buyers and sellers
broker verb
to arrange a deal
brokerage noun
a business that acts as a broker
data noun
information used for analysis

Commonly confused: data broker or data processor?

data broker vs data processor

A data processor handles data on behalf of another organization, while a data broker sells it to third parties.

Practice

A ____ collected her address, age and shopping habits and sold them to advertisers.

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