What Is Dynata? (And Why They Keep Calling You)

In an era where data is king, many companies go to great lengths to be as in-the-know as possible about market trends, besieging consumers with cookies, questions, and surveys at virtually every conceivable point of contact to collect their information. Heck, these days even smart TVs can spy on you in service of collecting data. A lot of companies are also still looking to procure that vital data the old-fashioned way by cold-calling people on the phone.

Odds are you've gotten a data-collecting call yourself lately. And if you have, it's all but certain that one of the calls came from a company called Dynata. That is assuming, of course, you didn't dodge the call altogether because you tabbed Dynata as yet another company looking to sell you something or nefarious agents trying to collect your precious personally identifiable information (aka PII). In the case of Dynata, such fears would've been unwarranted, as the company is a legitimate data collection agency that specializes in giving surveys to consumers that are geared toward helping organizations gauge the market for their goods and services.

Dynata is no small fry in the data game either, with the company's Google search link proclaiming it as "the world's largest first party data platform." The company's splash page also boasts partnerships with major modern corporations like Meta, Amazon, Verizon, and Comcast-Xfinity. Given those lofty connections, it would not be surprising to learn that you've received several calls from Dynata about various different organizations.

Legitimate operation or not, most folks would likely prefer not to receive any calls from outfits like Dynata and receiving more than a single call could feel downright annoying. While there's likely no way to stop data collection agencies from reaching out to you altogether, adding your name and number to a "Do Not Call" registry can help limit the number of unsolicited calls to your number.

For its part, Dynata is aware that not everyone wants to participate in their surveys and has set up a dedicated support line for folks who want to phone in and request that their name and number be removed from any registry of potential participants. Odds are that move will put a swift end to the incessant survey calls — at least the ones from Dynata. If you want to add another effective buffer to the mix, you can also block the Dynata number that called you in the settings window of your mobile device. That process is relatively the same whether blocking a number on an Android device or doing so on an iPhone. 

This action may not, however, block every Dynata number that could call you in the future. Moreover, it won't stop others from mimicking Dynata in hopes of securing some of your personal information. As such, you'll need to be careful should you choose to answer such a call. And yes, we'd be remiss if we didn't note that the most effective opt-out is to silence any unknown calls and get on with your life.