White House Roundtable on Protecting Americans from Harmful Data Broker Practices

The White House convened a roundtable with civil society leaders, researchers, and policymakers on how the data broker industry monetizes personal information and actions the Biden Administration is taking to address potential harms to American consumers. The session was hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Economic Council, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice. The CFPB plans to propose rules to ensure all data companies comply with the law and prevent brokers from selling certain data, limit the disclosure of sensitive “credit header” contact information, and give consumers the right to obtain data about themselves from brokers and dispute inaccuracies. Administration officials pledged to continue using their authorities to subject data brokers to greater regulation and oversight, and to curb the harms they cause. Participants shared stories, insights, and concerns about the harms and risks that data brokers’ practices create for everyday Americans. Issues raised include the surreptitious collection, use and sale of detailed sensitive data; data-driven scoring that limits access to housing and economic opportunities for Black and brown communities; predatory scams targeting individuals with cognitive vulnerabilities; increased risks to personal safety, including gender-based violence; and insufficient oversight of brokers under existing law.