Computers make this aggregation possible and profitable. With the growth of the Internet, this amount has assuredly grown much more. This huge amount of money, created from the sale of information about the people, belongs also to the people. In reality, industry have taken upon themselves the role of advertising and selling our lives, only without asking our permission first and without paying us in return. Not only are we entitled to any money derived from our names, we are also the best judges to determine when the release of our information can help us or harm us.
Companies sell and companies buy.
Most personal information traded today is used for direct marketing. The direct marketing industry has created a sophisticated information machine to target its potential customers. In the name of marketing, companies buy and sell information about our demographics, interests, affiliations, or purchases from other companies. Most of us would be happy to avoid both the tracking and the needless solicitation. But the information doesn't stop at direct marketing.