• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026

1

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
Leadership

These Presidential Candidates May Be Selling Your Personal Data

By
Alexandra Mondalek
Alexandra Mondalek
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Alexandra Mondalek
Alexandra Mondalek
and
Money
Money
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 17, 2016, 1:29 PM ET
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson Photograph by Brendan Hoffman — Getty Images

This story originally appeared on money.com.

The money that goes to funding presidential runs is the lifeline that keeps candidates afloat even when grassroots momentum slows (Jeb Bush, anyone?). But it’s not just the money sent in by donors that’s valuable—the information collected by political campaigns can be worth big bucks as well.

So even when a campaign run ends, as it has for Republican presidential candidates like Bush, Ben Carson, and, most recently, Marco Rubio, a valuable asset remains, in the form of data and personal information collected from supporters.

According to a recent report from the Center for Public Integrity (CPI), Carson and his campaign successfully collected personal information from more than 700,000 donors and millions of others who visited BenCarson.com. It’s not like anyone reads website privacy policies, but Carson’s site does note: “when you make contributions to Carson America that aggregate to more than $200, federal law requires us to use our ‘best efforts’ to collect your name, mailing address, employer, and occupation.”

Rubio, who suspended his campaign this week after losing his home state of Florida, likewise notes on his website that “we will not sell your personal identifiable information to any party,” but that “we may share information—that you voluntarily provide us—with like-minded organizations, committees, or candidates committed to our principles.”

So, if you’ve donated money to one candidate or merely signed up for e-newsletters and suddenly start to receive phone calls, emails, or flyers in the mail from other campaigns, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself.

Typically, political campaigns gather donor information like names, mailing addresses, employers, and occupations, and sooner or later sell this information to other political groups. Less specific “metadata” can also be sold or “rented” to for-profit data brokers. Joe Birkenstock, former Chief Counsel of the Democratic National Committee and partner at D.C. law firm Sandler Reiff, says that such metadata can be extremely valuable, giving candidates indications about the state of mind of certain donors and the effectiveness of different speeches on contributions.

Read next: Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Money Issues

Candidates from both major parties have been leveraging the value in personal donor information to further their political second acts for years. Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign committee earned $3.1 million in income from donor data, for example. The campaign committees of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Mitt Romney, and others have also “profited” from sales of donor information, according to the CPI.

The list of donors to Ben Carson’s renegade campaign is particularly valuable, as it includes information from voters who don’t typically donate to political campaigns–and are therefore less likely to already be in another political group’s database.

So how much are Carson supporters “worth”? About $6, according to the CPI report. While that price point seems paltry, it adds up to well over $4 million.

 

Carson can’t profit personally from sales of the data, but he could use the money to fund other political movements. Birkenstock says that Carson might follow the lead set by the likes of Sarah Palin. In 2009, after losing her bid for the White House with running mate John McCain, Palin launched SarahPAC, a political action committee that supports conservative candidates.

When Carson ended his campaign, he announced his new position as the national chairman of nonpartisan organization My Faith Votes. And he could fund this organization by selling the information collected during his presidential run. This probably isn’t what most people had in mind when they were cutting Carson a check months ago.

“Donors should take a second to read the privacy policy on the site for the candidate they’re donating to,” advises Birkenstock. “Make sure you can reach your own conclusions about the policy and you’re comfortable having your contact information shared.”

Always check any website’s privacy policy before using it or completing payments through it, as data brokers can collect even the most personal details of your financial life like your social security number.

Read next: 8 Epic Business Failures with Donald Trump’s Name on Them

While there are other ways to protect your information online (try deleting cookies), the best way to contribute to a candidate while keeping your information private is to donate in cash anonymously. Note, though, that you’re limited to $50 cash contributions by the Federal Election Committee.

And if you’ve already made a donation and shared your information, prepare for your phone to start ringing, if it hasn’t already. Come to think of it, you may want to turn your phone on silent until the election is over.

About the Authors
By Alexandra Mondalek
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Money
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

AI can be a ‘secret sauce’ or a way of ‘democratizing mediocrity’—Here’s how business leaders are getting the best of the technology
C-SuiteBrainstorm Tech
AI can be a ‘secret sauce’ or a way of ‘democratizing mediocrity’—Here’s how business leaders are getting the best of the technology
By Amanda GerutJune 12, 2026
7 hours ago
Sven Gerjets, chief technology officer at Gap, speaks on stage on a panel at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026.
Future of WorkBrainstorm Tech
Why companies are treating AI as a strategic partner rather than a passive technology, and how to avoid an ‘AI hangover’
By Sebastian HerreraJune 12, 2026
11 hours ago
Elon Musk stands behind the Nasdaq opening bell and in front of a "SpaceX" background.
Future of WorkElon Musk
Despite his new trillionaire status, Elon Musk says money ‘will stop being relevant’ in the future because of AI
By Sasha RogelbergJune 12, 2026
12 hours ago
arms
HealthPsychology
You probably think you’re a really open-minded person, but the real thing raises your death anxiety
By Daryl Van Tongeren and The ConversationJune 12, 2026
12 hours ago
AI was supposed to cut health care costs. One of its first jobs was charging you more, PwC report shows
AIHealth Care Service
AI was supposed to cut health care costs. One of its first jobs was charging you more, PwC report shows
By Whizy Kim and Tech BrewJune 12, 2026
12 hours ago
Man in a blue shirt gesturing
AIBrainstorm Tech
AOL cofounder Steve Case on AI— major upside, real risk, and ‘probably a net negative’ for jobs
By Amanda GerutJune 12, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
Investing
When SpaceX starts trading, some 'shareholders' will discover they own nothing at all
By Jim EdwardsJune 12, 2026
20 hours ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
18 hours ago
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
Success
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
By Catherina GioinoJune 11, 2026
2 days ago
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.