This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
As we continue to navigate the digital age, it's astonishing how many people still believe they have nothing to hide. But the truth is, your private information is being raided, traded, and used against you in ways that are both terrifying and disturbing.
Our investigation has shown that your every move is being tracked, from the websites you visit to the food you order. Even your emotions are being manipulated, with companies using your data to predict your mood and take advantage of it.
Take, for example, the case of Farhad Manjoo, an opinion columnist at The New York Times who volunteered to have his information tracked. Using a special browser, we were able to see what websites he visited, and what those websites could see about him. The results were shocking, with dozens of trackers following him as he browsed the web.
But it gets worse. With all of your private data, the trackers send it away to advertising companies, where it's auctioned off to the highest bidder. Your data is like a tuna, with algorithms arguing over it in a split second every time you load a web page.
And it's not just advertising companies that are getting in on the action. Law enforcement agencies are also using facial recognition software to scan public spaces and identify individuals. In one case, a professor was identified in Bryant Park, Midtown New York, simply by running footage from public webcams through the software.
But the most disturbing example of all is the case of Martin Luther King Jr., who was subjected to constant surveillance by the FBI during the civil rights movement. The government wiretapped his home and hotel rooms, and even dug into his private life, all in an effort to discredit him.
So, have we reached your comfort level yet? Maybe you're okay with companies manipulating your emotions and your face being in a police database. But let's be clear: this is not just about your comfort level. It's about the fundamental right to privacy that we all deserve.
