There is a huge huge market for your personal data. It’s collected and analyzed (Who do you think has paid for the new A.I. technology explosion in machine learning!) every time you get on the Internet, use you cell phone, drive your car, tweet, text, etc. your sending out “data” on yourself.
You would not believe how much is collected. It dwarves government collection. Actually its a waste for money for government to collect. They could just be another customer and buy it. I’ve attended several Machine\Deep Learning conferences and heard talks on this and what these “marketing data collectors” want to do is. A big industry driver is the insurance industry mostly car but soon to be property & health. They’ll have the data for your claim report before the cop finishes writing the ticket or the embers of your house cool from your house fire. The health insurance industry wants to use the data\analysis to better assess you as a health risk.
It’s an obvious fact the younger public doesn’t care a squat about privacy. They claim they do if you ask them. However just look at their behavior. The coming Internet-of-Things where every household appliance is attached to the Internet and data collected on will make it even worse.
I did a brief search on how to use Western Union to send some emergency money to my daughter the other day. My facebook, youtube and email accounts were filled with spam for money transfers.
I recall some guy using his various friend’s computers as a test when it came to internet searches.
One friend was a chef. A search for “France” came up with menus.
Another friend was a poly-sci guy. “France” came up with the French Revolution.
The internet does not always give you access to “the Truth”. It gives you what you want to hear.