Zillow
Summary
Zillow is an online real estate database that allows you to view listings in a specified area and reach out to landlords or sellers with questions. The website can be accessed for free with any browser.
Breach History
Has there ever been a breach or data leak?
Date of last breach
April 2018
A cybersecurity firm called UpGraurd found 48 million profiles constructed using technology that scrapes public data from sites such as Facebook, Zillow, and Twitter, on an Amazon S3 container without a password. These profiles included IP addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, emails, living history, and more.
Privacy Checklist
Is any kind of biometric data collected (health, heart, voice, etc.)?
Are you able to delete your data / the data collected about you?
Does it use cookies, telemetry, or third-party tracking scripts?
Is the privacy policy user-friendly (easy to understand)?
Does it have parental controls?
Does it use encryption to protect your data both in-transit and at-rest?
Does it get regular software and / or firmware updates?
Does it require you to create a strong password?
Is there a system in place for managing security vulnerabilities?
Does it have a privacy policy?
How Can It Snoop?
Does it have a camera or request / require access to a camera?
Does it have a microphone or request / require access to a microphone?
Does it track your location or request / require access to location data?
Account Requirements
Does it require an email address to use?
Does it require a phone number to use?
Does it require an address (home or office) to use?
Payment Options
Are you able to use a credit card as a payment option?
Are you able to use a cryptocurrency as a payment option?
Are you able to use PayPal as a payment option?
Are you able to use cash or gift cards as a payment option?
What Could Go Wrong?
Zillow collects information from its users such as name, email, phone number, IP address. This information may then be shared with business partners, service providers, and third-party advertisers in order to target users with personalized ads. Be aware of these risks before using this website.
How Does It Share Your Data?
Zillow shares your personal information with service providers and business partners, as well as de-identified data with some third parties. Your personal information may also be provided to certain companies to provide targeted advertising.
Good Things
- Great place to find apartments or places to live.
- Easy to contact landlords or sellers.
Bad Things
- Privacy concerns.
Final Thoughts
Zillow is a great way to find your next place to live. However, given the company's policy on how it shares information, your data may be at risk when provided to Zillow. Proceed with caution.