The Data Brokers Project

The Data Brokers Project follows up on CIPPIC’s 2006 study of the Canadian Data Brokerage industry. Data brokers, companies “whose primary business involves the trading and analysis of personal information,” are intimately familiar with the personal information of Canadian consumers, but are poorly understood by many consumers themselves. This industry has seen radical changes in the last decade, and in this project we take a look back at these changes and the impact they have had on the shape, practices, and products of the data broker industry in Canada.

With this site, we hope to reach out and educate Canadians about this industry and on how their data is being used.

There are several parts to this project. There is the report, of course, which goes in depth into our findings (you can find our draft report here). In the coming weeks, we will also be adding plenty of content. We will be writing two new blogposts every week on Tuesdays and Fridays, and releasing a new podcast exploring different aspects of the industry every Wednesday with experts in the field. We also have an interactive map that will help visualize how Canadian personal information is being used.

Whether by reading short posts, listening to podcasts, following a visual map, or reading our full report, you’ll come away from this site with a fuller understanding of how your personal information is being collected and used. –