Who wants your data?

DATA BROKERS

Data Brokers

https://stratcomcoe.org/cuploads/pfiles/data_brokers_and_security_20-01-2020.pdf

Data brokers in Australia are businesses that aggregate personal information from various sources and sell or share it with third parties, often without individuals' direct knowledge or consent.

They compile detailed profiles on consumers, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, financial details, health records, location data, and behavioral inferences (e.g., "vulnerable to scams" or "high-value shoppers").

A report published by the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence stated that large data brokers can have between 1500 and 3000 data points per person in their database. That’s an incredible amount to gather on individuals without their knowledge.

https://stratcomcoe.org/cuploads/pfiles/data_brokers_and_security_20-01-2020.pdf

The industry operates in a largely unregulated space, with firms like Experian, Equifax, Acxiom (now LiveRamp), Oracle, Nielsen, and local players such as SMRTR claiming coverage of up to 85% of the Australian population.

While the exact size of the Australian data broker market isn't publicly segmented, it's part of the Asia-Pacific region, which generated USD 61.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% through 2033, fueled by e-commerce and digital advertising. Globally, the market hit USD 294.27 billion in 2025, with Australia contributing through third-party data services for marketing, credit scoring, and risk management. Many firms avoid the "data broker" label, opting for terms like "data analytics" or "enrichment services" to sidestep scrutiny.

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Who can purchase from Data Brokers

Pretty much anyone.

We see a large amount of huge companies being hacked like Qantus, Optus, Latitude Finance as well as major player is the data broker industry like Equifax.

Data broker websited

lets relate this scenario to your regular day

Lets say you make a purchase from a store like Cotton On.

The cashier asks if you would like to become a member and receive reward points.

You see no reason not to so you go ahead and give away some Class 2 data points.

Name
Gender
Date of birth
Address
Telephone number
Email address

If you log in online you’ll also be giving away

Ip address (reveals your city, ISP, sometimes workplace/school)
Device type (iPhone, Samsung, Windows PC, etc.)
Browser type
Access time
Referring website (the site you were previously on)

Then Cotton On privacy policy states “We may disclose your personal information to third parties who provide services to us ranging from technology, data storage, website hosting, marketing, operations and customer service.”

Without using the term directly this absolutely includes data brokers.

https://cottonon.com/AU/privacy-policy.html?srsltid=AfmBOor5IItfcLiZST0qZcVaJGaTKFWsgyFPY_UIhZDAkXHOZ_3sfnw_