Episode Details

There are way too many data brokers and they have way too much of our data. We’ve talked a lot lately about what you can do to reclaim your privacy and claw back some of that data and today I’m going to give you yet another interesting tool for your privacy toolbox: Permission Slip. This app and the related service, brought to you by Consumer Reports, will work on your behalf to request that these data brokers relinquish your information, or at least suppress the sharing of that data to the extent that’s legally possible. The tool has some helpful and interesting features that you may not find on other, similar services. Sukhi Gulati GIlbert is my guest today and will explain why you should consider using this tool and how it supports the overall effort to rein in dangerous business of data mining.

Interview Notes

• Permission Slip app: https://permissionslipcr.com/ 
• Protecting Your Privacy Online: https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/privacy/from-our-president-protecting-your-privacy-online-a1603013649/ 
• Digital Security & Privacy: https://www.consumerreports.org/digital-security-privacy/ 
• CR Report on data deletion services (PDF): https://innovation.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Data-Defense_-Evaluating-People-Search-Site-Removal-Services-.pdf 
• California data broker registry: https://cppa.ca.gov/data_broker_registry/ 
• How to download the Vermont data broker list (which doesn’t seem to work): https://www.muckrock.com/foi/vermont-80/vermont-data-broker-db-107096/ 
• My article series on data deletion: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/osint-reconnaissance/ 

Further Info

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Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.

• 0:00:12: Intro
• 0:00:51: Couple quick news notes
• 0:01:45: Last call: listener survey
• 0:02:47: Interview setup
• 0:03:48: What brought you to Consumer Reports and the Permission Slip app?
• 0:07:19: How does Permission Slip compare to other data deletion services?
• 0:14:17: Where are the data brokers getting so much of our personal info?