Oh Look, It Was Trivial To Buy Troop And Intelligence Officer Location Data From Dodgy, Unregulated Data Brokers

[LearnedHand]

OP note: We already know this is happening. The interesting part of this article is about the dangers and widespread nature of ad surveillance.

https://www.techdirt.com/2024/11/22/oh-look-it-was-trivial-to-buy-troop-and-intelligence-officer-location-data-from-dodgy-unregulated-data-brokers/

There are two major reasons that the U.S. doesn’t pass an internet-era privacy law or regulate data brokers despite a parade of dangerous scandals. One, lobbied by a vast web of interconnected industries with unlimited budgets, Congress is too corrupt to do its job. Two, the U.S. government is disincentivized to do anything because it exploits this privacy dysfunction to dodge domestic surveillance warrants.

If we imposed safeguards on consumer data, everybody from app makers to telecoms would make billions less per quarter. So our corrupt lawmakers pretend the vast human harms of our greed are a distant and unavoidable externality. Unless the privacy issues involve some kid tracking rich people on their planes, of course, in which case Congress moves with a haste that would break the sound barrier.

So as a result, we get a steady stream of scandals related to the over-collection and monetization of wireless location data, posing no limit of public safety, market trust, or national security issues. Including, for example, stalkers using location data to track and harm women. Or radical right wing extremists using it to target vulnerable abortion clinic visitors with health care disinformation.

[Autumn]

1. We are screwed. Congress won't do their job. The DOJ won't do their job

The media won't do their job. The SC won't do their job. I don't see any possible way of getting out of this mess we are in.

[LearnedHand]

3. Exactly my point

And it will get way worse under the next "administration."

[justaprogressive]

2. K'n'R