commercial-data-brokers

This chapter traces the evolution of surveillance and tracking from historical legal challenges against general warrants to the modern digital era's expansive data collection by government agencies and private companies. It highlights key moments such as post-9/11 counterterrorism measures, the NSA's mass data programs revealed by Edward Snowden, and the rise of commercial data brokers and online behavioral advertising. The chapter contextualizes how legal doctrines like the Third-Party Doctrine and border search exceptions have facilitated pervasive tracking and surveillance practices.

This chapter from Julia Angwin's Dragnet Nation provides an extensive index of topics, individuals, organizations, technologies, and concepts related to surveillance, privacy, data collection, and digital security. It reflects the book's comprehensive exploration of how personal data is gathered, tracked, and used by governments, corporations, and other entities, highlighting the complexity and pervasiveness of modern surveillance and data ecosystems. The index serves as a roadmap to the book's detailed examination of the interplay between privacy rights, technological tools, and societal implications.