31. The computer-implemented method recited by claim 27 , wherein determining whether at least one of the data providers maintains the consumer information requested comprises: generating a decrypted query by decrypting the encrypted query based on the public key unique to the data buyer; decrypting the searchable index associated with the data buyer based on the private key of the data buyer; and comparing the decrypted query to at least one record of the decrypted searchable index, wherein the generating a decrypted query, decrypting the searchable index, and comparing are completed within a search component sandbox container of the computer separate from all other processing activities of the computer.
27. A computer-implemented method for exchanging consumer information, comprising the steps of: registering a plurality of data providers and a plurality of data buyers, the registration of each data buyer of the plurality of data buyers comprising receiving a legal representation from the data buyer that the data buyer will use any consumer information requested only in accordance with stated permissible uses; building, by the computer, a searchable index for each of the data buyers based on at least one index of consumer information for sale provided from one or more of the data providers; for each searchable index of each of the data buyers, encrypting and decrypting the searchable index by a public key unique to a respective one of the data buyers, when building the searchable indexes; receiving an encrypted query that identifies a data buyer of the plurality of data buyers and defines a purchase request for consumer information; retrieving the searchable index associated with the data buyer; determining, by the computer, whether at least one of the data providers maintains the consumer information requested by the data buyer by comparing the purchase request to the searchable index associated with the data buyer; encrypting and decrypting the searchable index associated with the data buyer by a private key unique to the data buyer, when determining whether at least one of the data providers maintains the consumer information requested; and in response to determining that at least one of the data providers maintains the consumer information requested, transmitting a message to the data buyer comprising information about the consumer information requested, the cost of purchasing the consumer information requested, and an anonymous exchange identifier code for uniquely identifying the consumer information requested.