Financial Times - Web browsing data collected in more detail than previously known, report finds

The Financial Times covers two reports from Senior Fellow Johnny Ryan and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties which show that access to government officials’ personal and sensitive data is broader than was previously believed.

Internet browsing data is being collected and sold in greater detail than previously thought, increasing the likelihood that individuals’ identities can be ascertained from the anonymised information, a new report has found.

Web users have for years been grouped by data brokers by traits such as their broad professional sector or interests, inferred from their browsing history. This anonymised information is then sold to advertisers so they can target specific categories, or segments, with personalised marketing.

An investigation by the non-profit Irish Council for Civil Liberties published on Tuesday shows the number of segments is greater than previously thought, including data on many influential and sensitive professions that were not known to be sold to advertisers.

Read the full article here.