metadata-surveillance
The collection and analysis of data about communications (such as call logs and internet activity) rather than content, which can reveal detailed personal information and has been a focus of NSA programs.
2 chapters across 1 book
Dragnet Nation (2014)Julia Angwin
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.
Chapter 10, "Pocket Litter," explores the pervasive surveillance and data collection practices centered around mobile phones and wireless signals. It traces the history and evolution of traffic analysis from World War I to modern-day cell phone tracking, highlighting legal battles, corporate involvement, and technological methods used to monitor individuals' locations and communications. The chapter also discusses privacy concerns, countermeasures like Faraday cages, and the implications of location data being commodified and exploited.