IS DIGITAL PRIVACY IMPOSSIBLE? 3 EXPERTS WEIGH IN

In 2017, hackers stole the digitized personal data of nearly 150 million people, including social security numbers and home addresses, from the credit bureau Equifax. As part of a global settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the company agreed to a pay out up to $700 million in a mix of government fines and compensation for individuals affected by the breach.
Hacks, though, are just one way your online data is disseminated and possibly compromised in many cases, legally. As the popularity of data science continues to explode, data-hungry tech giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon constantly track our online behavior and leverage it to their advantage. Apps and browser extensions do likewise, and some  sell the information they collect.It all helps fuel a trillion-dollar industry of data brokers and buyers. Washington Post tech columnist Geoffrey Fowler, for instance, recently found a trove of sensitive personal information for sale on a now-defunct site called Nacho Analytics. And the prices were low about $40 for a tax return. Medical records were also available.