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Credit card Quote by Eli Pariser

“As soon as the hijackers’ names had been publicly released, Acxiom had searched its massive data banks, which take up five acres in tiny Conway, Arkansas. And it had found some very interesting data on the perpetrators of the attacks. In fact, it turned out, Acxiom knew more about eleven of the…” quote by Eli Pariser
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““As soon as the hijackers’ names had been publicly released, Acxiom had searched its massive data banks, which take up five acres in tiny Conway, Arkansas. And it had found some very interesting data on the perpetrators of the attacks. In fact, it turned out, Acxiom knew more about eleven of the nineteen hijackers than the entire U.S. government did—including their past and current addresses and the names of their housemates. We may never know what was in the files Acxiom gave the government (though one of the executives told a reporter that Acxiom’s information had led to deportations and indictments). But here’s what Acxiom knows about 96 percent of American households and half a billion people worldwide: the names of their family members, their current and past addresses, how often they pay their credit card bills whether they own a dog or a cat (and what breed it is), whether they are right-handed or left-handed, what kinds of medication they use (based on pharmacy records) … the list of data points is about 1,500 items long.””

Eli Pariser

About This Quote

An exposé on how a data‑broker company holds extensive personal information, far exceeding government knowledge, raising privacy concerns.

In simple terms: Acxiom knows more about people than the government.

Key Takeaway

Protect personal data and demand transparency.

Themes

privacy surveillance data capitalism

Mood

concerned alert inquisitive

Type

informative cautionary

When to use this quote

  • online shopping
  • financial services
  • healthcare records

Key Concepts

information asymmetry ethical data use consumer rights

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can individuals safeguard their data?
  • What regulations could limit such data collection?
A Different Perspective

It may overstate the uniqueness of Acxiom’s data.

4.5 out of 5 (6 ratings)

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