Over the last 10 years, a number of aggregator online services have been aggressively marketing individuals and businesses to provide them with leads about what is available over the internet on individuals in phone directories, social networks, mailing lists, public records, etc. One of the most popular and best known aggregators is Spokeo, a business that was organized by graduates from Stanford in 2006.
In 2010 and thereafter, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued and also assessed penalties against several of these aggregators alleging that they were violating federal law by compiling and selling personal information for use by potential employers in screening job applicants. In that same year, Spokeo changed its terms of service, and it now prohibits use of its information for screening purposes.
If you use the service of an aggregator or another third party service, check with your counsel to ensure that by doing so you are in compliance with federal and state law. Also confirm that the source of their information is first party.