The messages you sent to your Airbnb host, meals you ordered via Yelp, and posts you liked on Twitter are all being tracked and secretly stored in your personal ‚file,‘ which those companies can use to determine how valuable you are as a customer. People’s secret files are typically aggregated from their activity on these apps and stored by third parties, five of which were identified in a recent report by The New York Times‘ Kashmir Hill. Thanks to a newly passed California law, companies will have to start providing users in the US with a copy of their file upon request. A similar law is already in place in the European Union. The third-party companies that aggregate people’s consumer files say the primary purpose is to detect suspicious behavior and identify possible hackers. However, a June report from the Consumer Education Foundation calls for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate how secret consumer scores are used. „Major American corporations, including online and retail businesses, employers and landlords are using Secret Surveillance Scores to charge some people higher prices for the same product than others, to provide some people with better customer services than others, to deny some consumers the right to purchase services or buy or return products,“ the report warns. Here’s a rundown of five companies that compile secret files on people and how to request your file. Video Washington Post Sift First, email [email protected]. You’ll then be directed to complete a Google form. Sift Zeta Global You can fill out the online form here. According to The New York Times, only about 10 people had requested their file from Zeta Global as of November. Zeta Global Retail Equation To request a report, email [email protected]. Retail Equation Riskified The email address to request your file is [email protected]. Riskified Kustomer The email address to request your file is [email protected]. Kustomer Companies that do business in California — essentially every tech company — will be obligated to adhere to the new law starting in 2020, so you’re legally entitled to a copy of your file. Jeff Chiu/AP
additionally , Airbnb and Yelp are among the apps that compile secret consumer ratings based on consumer preferences and spending . Using third - party companies that aggregate consumer files many US corporations take these secret scores to measure customers ' value , charge different prices for the same product , offering some better results while denying some consumers the right to purchase products , according to a report from the Consumer Education Foundation . However , due to a newly passed California law and existing EU regulations , individuals may request a copy of their own consumer file from the third - party consumer compilers .