dailyloe.com – The US government is expanding mass surveillance capabilities by purchasing Americans’ personal data from commercial brokers and partnering with private tech companies. This data originates from everyday devices like cars, smartphones, and home cameras, which continuously collect sensitive information. Artificial intelligence aggregates and analyzes this commercially available data to reveal detailed profiles. These practices allow surveillance that bypasses traditional legal restrictions on government data collection.
Data collection begins with common consumer activities and devices. A trip to a hardware store illustrates the pervasive tracking. Neighbors’ Ring cameras may film a person’s walk to their car. The car’s own sensors, cameras, and microphones record driving behavior, destination, passengers, and conversations. Vehicles also collect biological metrics like facial expressions, weight, and heart rate. Connected smartphones can share text messages and contacts with the car.
Smartphones themselves are constant data sources. They sense and record communications, health information, and app usage. Location is tracked via cell towers, GPS satellites, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Entering a store adds another layer. Surveillance cameras can identify faces and track movements through aisles. Using Apple Pay or Google Pay for a purchase allows the phone to log what was bought and the payment amount. This data quickly enters the commercial marketplace.
Data brokers buy and sell this aggregated personal information. Artificial intelligence analyzes the compiled data sets. The analysis reveals sensitive details about individuals. This information can predict and manipulate behavior. It influences what people buy, feel, think, and do. Companies collect data from most user activities unilaterally. This practice is often called surveillance capitalism.
Data collection is frequently unrelated to core services. Tinder, for example, plans to use AI to scan users’ entire camera rolls. Company promises about opting out are often ineffective. Opting out does not actually stop ongoing data collection. While companies can manipulate behavior, they lack state power. The US government, however, can use data to imprison people.
The government purchases massive quantities of information from commercial data brokers. It acquires Americans’ sensitive data through these purchases. This method avoids restrictions applied to information the government collects directly. Federal agencies are also increasing direct data collection abilities. They form partnerships with private technology companies. These surveillance tech partnerships are becoming entrenched domestically and abroad.
Advances in artificial intelligence are pushing surveillance to unprecedented levels. As a privacy and tech law attorney, author, and educator, I have researched these issues for years. Understanding requires knowing how the technologies function. It is critical to identify who collects what data. The potential uses of that data against individuals must be understood. The reasons current laws are insufficient must also be examined.
