Now, I am not advocating a complete prohibition of information sharing. No, I believe we want an informed consumer, an empowered consumer. As conservatives, we talk about empowering the individual. I believe that thoughtful privacy provisions can ensure such power. The truth of the matter is that there is money to be made from an individual s data, or profile, if you will.
Information is a scarce good.
Yet producers and consumers trade goods and services based on the best information possible. Typically, such a demand for information leads to a middleman or broker. The market for personal information is no different. As of today, there is a budding industry of infomediaries. An infomediary is defined as a company who develops a profile and uses it on your behalf in a way that protects your privacy.