And you're paying for it now with ads that track you across the internet. If you're anything like me, you've given out your online data pretty liberally when signing up for rewards programs, for example, without knowing where your data was really going. These pieces of your data are then collected by both companies and data brokers - which then sell it to other companies that can use your info to sell ads targeted at you. Each and every time you sign up for a new social media platform or purchase something online, for example, you give those companies bits and pieces of your personal data. If you've been using the internet for any substantial period of time, it's very likely that your online personal data has been scattered all over the place.