What Constitutes a Sale of Personal Information?

The California Consumer Privacy Act defines “sale” broadly to include transferring or making available any personal information of consumers in exchange for money or anything else of value (e.g. service, the promotion of one’s business).

What are some examples of a sale of personal information?

A common business practice that may be considered a sale of personal information is interest-based advertising. Interest-based advertising is a form of digital advertising that uses a consumer’s traits or online behavior to display personalized ads. Ad networks, such as Facebook Ads or Google Ads, track consumers’ online behavior through the use of browser cookies or other tracking technology.

Another example that is considered a sale of personal information occurs when a data broker (such as ZoomInfo) sells a database of contact information to a business. Businesses who buy personal information from data brokers do so generally to acquire sales leads.

Is there a way for me to opt-out of the sale of personal information?

A business that sells personal information is required to provide consumers the ability to opt-out. Learn more about making a Request to Opt-Out.