“Kim, I get that there are shady people-search sites and data brokers making money by selling my name, address and shoe size to anyone from scammers, stalkers and insurance companies. Why should I pay to remove this? This should be against the law! Why is the burden on me? How do companies gather all this up about me?” — Austin in Atlanta
Excellent question, Austin. The nonstop sale of our personal information should be illegal. And no, it shouldn’t be our job to clean it up.
The reason you have to pay companies like Incogni (a sponsor of my national radio show) to remove your data is because the law is built to protect the data collectors, the government and the sellers, not us. Let me explain.
👀 Your pocket spy
Our smartphones are powerful surveillance tools. Your phone constantly sends signals to GPS satellites, Wi-Fi networks and cell towers, even when you’re not using any apps.
Now, add the apps. They’re grabbing everything you do. Everything. Your info gets bundled up and sold to data brokers who then resell it to anyone willing to pay, including advertisers, insurance companies, foreign buyers and, yes, U.S. government agencies like the FBI.
⚠️ The massive loophole
Under the Fourth Amendment, the government is supposed to need a warrant to track your location. But they can buy that data from a broker, no warrant is needed. Your movements and habits can be tracked without your knowledge, consent or a judge’s approval.
So the legal protection we think we have? Nada. Zilch.
There is no federal law that stops companies from collecting and selling your data. A few states, like California, let you request deletion. Go ahead, try it. You have to hunt down and contact hundreds of companies, and they make it difficult on purpose.
👨🏻⚖️ What about Washington?
There is a bill in Congress right now called the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act. It would stop government agencies from buying your data without a warrant. The House passed it.
The strong, unified opposition from the administration and major law enforcement groups (who say the bill would hurt investigations) makes passing it through the Senate a very difficult prospect. And this is only the government, not the other 420+ data brokers out there.
✅ Your best bet is to take matters into your own hands. Get Incogni.
It contacts hundreds of data brokers on your behalf, forces them to delete your personal info, and keeps following up to make sure they actually do it. Until and if the laws ever catch up, Incogni is your best line of defense. Listen, I hate spending money, but like you mentioned, Austin, scammers and stalkers can buy this info, too. Use my exclusive link to get 60% off right now. Because your privacy shouldn’t be optional, and it definitely shouldn’t be for sale.