Databases in my Wallet

If you open your wallet, almost everything you see is a source of information for companies or government agencies.<Tab/>This information is stored in databases. Databases are software tools that allow the computer to analyze vast amounts of data. These companies and organizations will share this data and use that information for many purposes including direct marketing, inventory control, and purchasing patterns. Credit cards, supermarket loyalty cards, library cards, and …

…Sport schedules, Social Security cards, insurance information, and money all have ties to multiple databases. Consumers have little choice in the information kept about them in databases. The opportunities which data collection gives companies, continues to grow. The desire to sell that information is substantial and so far, our laws have struggled to keep up with improvements in technology. Customers need to make an informed, meaningful choice about the maintained information companies store in databases.