Privacy and Big Data

Chapter 4. The Players

Wherever you go, whatever you do, anywhere in this world, some “thing” is tracking you. Your laptop, and other personal devices, like an iPad, Smartphone, or Blackberry, all play a role, and contribute to building a very detailed dossier of your likes, concerns, preferred airlines, favorite vacation spots, how much money you spend, political affiliations, who you’re friends with, the magazines you subscribe to, the make and model of the car you drive, the kinds of foods you buy, the list goes on. There are now RFID chips in hotel towels and bathrobes to dissuade you from taking them with you while your in-room mini bar collects information about every item you’ve consumed (to ensure that it’s properly stocked for your next visit). That convenient E-ZPass not only makes your commute easier, but it also helps to provide an accurate picture of your whereabouts on any given day, at any given time, as do all the video cameras installed at ATMs, in stores, banks, and gas stations, on highways, and at traffic intersections. Your car collects information about you—from your location, speed, steering, brake use, and driving patterns. Although your home may be your castle, it is not, in the world we now live in, impenetrable. Google Maps provides a very accurate and detailed picture of it, and in the course of getting that picture, if you happened to have had an unencrypted Wi-Fi network, scooped up personal data as well. You may be aware of all the digital tracking ...