Salting is a practice used by
data owners to protect their data. The owner of the data places
false data into their work so that they can be alerted when someone uses or
copies it. Used extensively in the
direct mail industry and by government agencies.
If I have compiled a list of names and addresses all from people who like to golf and you wish to buy it for a one-time mailing, how do I know that you will only use it once? By putting names and addresses into the list that are not people who like golf, but will instead lead back to me. Every time you use the list I will know.
In daily life, many people 'salt' their own personal data when filling out forms (especially website registrations). They will intentionally misspell their name or give an email address that is valid, but normally unused.
Any response with the misspelt name or to the unused email address is a dead giveaway that the originating site or organization has been selling your personal data.
Salting is also a practice whereby
labor unions place or attempt to place workers into non-union shops for the purpose of
disrupting the business.