The Surveillance economy: how you’re tracked, why you can’t hide, and what to do anyway
All the tips, plus the video replay (for a limited time)
🎥The Video Replay (available for a limited time)
Autogenerated English subtitles are available
Key takeaways - your TL;DR checklist
Delete unused apps - each is a data leak
Opt out of data brokers via CA Drop Act or DeleteMe
Use Lockdown Mode or disable precise location on iPhone
Turn off ACR on your smart TV
Disable “Familiar Faces” and “Find My Pet” on Ring
Assume your car, phone, and apps are always tracking
Use a privacy-focused DNS or router-level blocker
Accept that perfect privacy is impossible - focus on reducing exposure
Tools and links mentioned
Palantir Gotham: https://www.palantir.com/platforms/gotham/
Wired on Palantir and ICE: https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-employee-questions-on-ice/
Flock Safety LPR Policy: https://www.flocksafety.com/legal/lpr-policy
Signal on UK Online Safety Bill: https://signal.org/blog/uk-online-safety-bill/
EFF Border Privacy Guide: https://www.eff.org/wp/digital-privacy-us-border-2017
Apple Lockdown Mode: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-lockdown-mode-iph845f6f40c/ios
Super Bloom by Nicholas Carr: https://bookshop.org/p/books/superbloom-how-technologies-of-connection-tear-us-apart-nicholas-carr/2024a79a9bcbc7d3
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-age-of-surveillance-capitalism-the-fight-for-a-human-future-at-the-new-frontier-of-power-shoshana-zuboff/7889d7dd8f793aeb
🔍 You’re not imagining it - ads really do “listen”
What we discussed:
When you talk about something and see an ad seconds later, it’s not magic. It’s data correlation. Every click, tap, scroll, and app session sends dozens of signals: timing, location, device type, Wi-Fi network, and more. AI now connects those dots at scale, making it seem like your phone is listening - even when it’s not.
Why it matters:
The surveillance economy doesn’t need microphones. It just needs patterns.
What you can do:
Assume everything you do online is tracked
Don’t fall for “anonymous data” claims - de-anonymization is easy
Use AI awareness to your advantage: if it can predict you, you can outsmart it🗒️ The core system: sticky note plus planner
What we discussed:
Every app you haven’t used in 30 days is a potential data leak. Many are sold to new developers who insert tracking code. Even “harmless” games send hundreds of pings per hour to ad networks.
Why it matters:
Unused apps are silent spies.
What you can do:
Delete any app you haven’t opened in a month
Reinstall only what you actually use
Assume free apps are monetizing your attention and data
🌐 California’s Drop Act: opt out of data brokers
California now lets residents remove themselves from data broker lists - sites like PeopleFinder, Spokeo, and others that sell your personal info. Illinois has similar protections. Services like DeleteMe and Canary can do this for you across multiple states.
Why it matters:
Data brokers fuel doxxing, scams, and targeted ads. Opting out reduces your digital footprint.
What you can do:
If you’re in California, visit the CA Drop Act site
Use DeleteMe or Canary for broader coverage
Treat privacy like a subscription - check in yearly
🔐 Lockdown Mode: when your phone fights back
What we discussed:
Apple’s Lockdown Mode disables most attack vectors - messaging, web rendering, and link previews - making it nearly impossible to hack, even with zero-day exploits. It’s designed for high-risk users, but the principles apply to everyone.
Why it matters:
Even law enforcement admits they can’t break into a device in Lockdown Mode.
What you can do:
Enable Lockdown Mode if you’re at higher risk
At minimum, disable “precise location” for non-essential apps
Use a strong password instead of biometrics (they can be forced)
📹 Ring, Flock, and the illusion of community safety
What we discussed:
Ring and Flock cameras were marketed as neighborhood tools but are deeply integrated with law enforcement. Ring’s “Familiar Faces” uses facial recognition. Flock’s ALPRs (automated license plate readers) track every car in real time - often without oversight.
Why it matters:
“Convenience” features often come with permanent surveillance trade-offs.
What you can do:
Disable “Familiar Faces” and “Find My Pet” on Ring
Opt out of Flock if your HOA uses it
Be skeptical of “free” security tools - they’re rarely free
📡 Your smart TV is watching you watch it
What we discussed:
Most smart TVs use ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) to take screenshots of what you’re watching - even live TV - and send it back to the manufacturer. This data fuels ad targeting and content decisions.
Why it matters:
Your living room isn’t private unless you’ve turned it off.
What you can do:
Disable ACR in your TV settings (look for “viewing data” or “ad personalization”)
Use a streaming stick (Fire, Roku) with privacy settings tightened
Consider a dumb TV or external monitor with a separate box
🚗 Your car is a rolling data center
What we discussed:
Modern cars track location, speed, braking, and even cabin audio. Software-as-a-service models mean your car phones home constantly. Even if you turn off your phone, your car may still report your movements.
Why it matters:
You can’t “go dark” without leaving the vehicle behind.
What you can do:
Review privacy settings in your car’s infotainment system
Disable connected services if you don’t need them
Assume all data is stored and potentially shared
🧠 Palantir, Clearview, and the AI fusion machine
What we discussed:
Companies like Palantir and Clearview AI fuse data from cameras, license plates, social media, and public records to build real-time dossiers. Palantir’s Project Gotham lets military users design strike packages using civilian data. Clearview can identify anyone from a single photo and map their entire network.
Why it matters:
This isn’t sci-fi. It’s operational.
What you can do:
Assume facial recognition is everywhere
Limit public photos of yourself and family
Support policies that regulate data fusion and AI use
🛡️ Router-level ad blocking: see the invisible
What we discussed:
Even with careful habits, devices constantly “phone home.” A router with ad-blocking (like Pi-hole) can stop thousands of tracking requests daily. One demo showed 14% of traffic blocked - including pings from Zoom, Amazon, and venture capital firms.
Why it matters:
You can’t see the tracking - unless you block it and watch what gets caught.
What you can do:
Install a DNS-level ad blocker (Pi-hole, NextDNS)
Use private DNS (like Cloudflare or Quad9)
Reboot your router occasionally to clear cached tracking
Wildcard Wednesday returns next month
Second Wednesday at 12:00 PM Pacific. No slides. No fluff. Just real talk on what’s changing - and what you can do about it.
📆 Mark your calendars for high noon Pacific, the second Wednesday of every month!
You never know what we’ll get into next. But you will walk away smarter.
👉 Got a topic or question you want to bring up next time? Just reply and let me know.
In the meantime, if you need a hand or want to explore any of these topics further, you know where to reach me. 😉
Founder, Passkey Peacemaker ☮️
