the data brokers. trading data is a lucrative market so-called data brokers gather personal data and enrich it with further information before trading huge databases. point works for privacy international which is trying to make the data broker network more transparent. the reason most of us don't know data brokers is because we're not their customers with their product. data brokers gather data from numerous sources from public records at registration offices or sweepstakes or customer loyalty cards add to that the data on web surfing behavior provided by trackers or online profiles this tells them a user's name their address their chops but it also reveals what they like for instance what kind of music a person enjoys which series they watch and who they're friends with.