How surveillance tech erodes your privacy | Jen Golbeck

Data colonialism represents a systemic threat to democracy, characterized by the unchecked extraction of personal data by corporations and government agencies for profit and control. This surveillance infrastructure—ranging from automated license plate readers to digital behavioral tracking—enables the creation of detailed dossiers that facilitate manipulation and circumvent constitutional protections. By purchasing data from private brokers, law enforcement agencies frequently bypass the need for warrants, effectively eroding rights to privacy and due process. Combating this requires active resistance against surveillance creep in daily life, such as rejecting intrusive consumer technologies, and demanding legislative action to close the data broker loophole. Reclaiming data ownership is essential to restoring the power of the people and preserving the foundational principles of a free society.