FLUENT INC

Fluent Inc. operates a consumer data brokerage business that has been formally charged by the Federal Trade Commission with operating a deceptive “consent farm.” The FTC’s July 2023 complaint alleges that since 2011, Fluent used deceptive ads and websites promising free rewards from major brands to harvest consumers’ personal data, which it then sold to third parties. As part of a settlement, Fluent was required to direct all customers who purchased its consumer data prior to May 2023 to delete that information. This business model, which collects and monetizes personal data at scale for downstream use, functions as surveillance infrastructure built for deployment by corporate clients. Separately, a company named Fluent Home markets and sells professional smart home security systems featuring intelligent video surveillance and 24/7 video verification, directly offering surveillance hardware and monitoring services to consumers.