Long after the COVID-19 health emergency ends, Americans will still suffer from the pandemic's economic devastation. For people on the country's economic fringes, the proliferation of data anyaltics tools to monitor consumer life will magnify today's financial hardship.

People are accruing debt in a scramble to pay for food, cover utility bills and maintain internet access for work and school. Before COVID-19, medical debt was the primary driver of two-thirds of personal bankruptcies. 

Companies take data from your public records, social media interactions, purchase history and location tracking. They fuse your data into digital profiles that landlords, employers and lenders use to sort and screen people. It is important, now more than ever, to prioritize your debt and work with your financial institutions to make payments. Protect your digital profile.