Information broker

An information broker (or data broker) collects information, often about individual people. The data is then sold to companies that use it to target advertising and marketing towards specific groups, to verify a person's identity including for purposes of fraud detection, and to sell to individuals and organizations so they can research particular individuals. Critics, including consumer protection organizations, say the industry is secretive and unaccountable, and should be better regulated. There are also brokers for technology vulnerabilities, which offer a bug bounty to hackers, in turn selling that information on the grey or black market to those who would exploit it, such as foreign government intelligence agencies.