Financial-data firm Yodlee might be selling consumers’ personal financial data without proper consent. Three lawmakers have asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate.
In addition to collecting data so that consumers can easily view their financial activity in one place, the company also sells transaction and other data to brokers, who in turn sell it to investors looking for trends in consumer purchasing. “Consumers’ credit and debit card transactions can reveal information about their health, sexuality, religion, political views, and many other personal details,” the lawmakers’ letter said. “Consumers generally have no idea of the risks to their privacy that Envestnet is imposing on them.” Yodlee’s website says that “when an investor engages with a fiduciary advisor, the investor permissions the advisor and the supporting institution(s) to see their data.” Yodlee “never sells data that identifies individuals” and scrubs data of personally identifiable information before selling it, it says.