Data Collection: Who’s Watching, What They’re Learning, and Why It Matters

We live in an age where every swipe, search, and scroll is being tracked — not just online, but even from the comfort of your couch. Data collection isn’t confined to social media giants and search engines anymore. It’s happening in your living room, in your pocket, and across your entire digital footprint. The importance of data collection is becoming increasingly recognized as it shapes our interactions.

Recently, I had an eerie case of data collection wherein a company posed being an affiliate with my health insurance provider. They claimed my insurance company required me to be seen by a third party nurse who conducted home visits. A nurse came to my home, collected a wide array of health data that was later used as no more than data collection, which was packaged and sold.

You Are the Product

The phrase “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product” has never been more true.

Social media platforms like Facebook collect immense amounts of behavioral data: what you like, what you comment on, how long you hover over a post. That data is sold to advertisers, marketers, and data brokers. In turn, we are commodities with bar codes.

In return, you get to post cat pictures and keep up with friends.

But this isn’t just about ad targeting—it’s about building profiles on individuals that can be used for far more than selling shoes.

What Is Data Collection?

Data collection serves as a foundation for businesses, enabling them to tailor services and offerings based on accumulated user insights.

This process of data collection is crucial for enhancing the user experience and optimizing engagement across platforms.

Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information about users and their behaviors. This can include everything from your browser history and location data to your biometric info and even the tone of your voice when you talk to a virtual assistant.

Companies, advertisers, and governments collect this data to:

• Improve services
• Predict behavior
• Target ads
• Automate decisions
• Enforce laws (in extreme cases)

And it’s happening almost invisibly.

What Data is Being Collected?

The list is long and invasive:

• What you watch
• Where you go
• What you buy
• How you communicate
• What you post
• Your location history
• Even your physical characteristics

This data doesn’t disappear when you delete an account or uninstall an app. In fact, many companies store data indefinitely, building unique behavioral profiles that follow you across devices and over time.

As data collection practices evolve, so do user expectations and regulatory requirements.

And it’s not just big tech. Data brokers, often unknown to the public, repackage and sell this data to third parties, including employers, insurers, and governments.

Welcome to the Era of Big Data

In today’s hyper-connected world, we’re generating more information in a few weeks than humans did in centuries past. Massive “server farms” — warehouses full of computers — crunch numbers around the clock to extract meaning from the digital noise.

Big data has led to some impressive advancements:

• Public health prediction: Google once used search trends to predict flu outbreaks by analyzing symptoms people searched and nearby thermometer purchases.
• Predictive policing: Data scientists are helping law enforcement forecast where and when crimes like burglaries may happen based on historical patterns, aiming to stop crimes before they occur.
• Energy efficiency: Utility companies analyze usage data to help consumers and the grid conserve energy more effectively.
• Education: Student data is being used to detect academic struggles before a teacher notices, prompting early interventions.

But with all this power comes a darker side.

When Data Becomes a Risk

The more data we give, the more we trust the systems managing it — often without question. But data is vulnerable, and not all breaches make headlines.

Take Google+, for instance.

Between 2015 and 2018, a vulnerability in the Google+ social network exposed private profile data of up to 500,000 users. Although Google said it found no evidence of misuse, the incident wasn’t disclosed to the public until much later — reportedly to avoid regulatory scrutiny. The leak included personal details like email addresses, occupation, places lived, and relationship statuses.

The fallout? Google+ was shut down. But the deeper issue is this: the public wasn’t told right away. The breach revealed a troubling gap between corporate responsibility and consumer rights.

Google isn’t alone. From Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal to third-party apps accessing Gmail accounts, data collection has repeatedly collided with privacy concerns.

Surveillance and Control: The Case of China

Now imagine a world where your data isn’t just used to recommend a movie — it determines your freedom.

China’s social credit system is an ambitious and controversial use of mass data collection. Every citizen is being assigned a score based on their behavior: paying bills on time, buying local products, or even social media conduct. A high score could earn perks; a low one can mean travel bans, job restrictions, or blocked school admissions.

Liu Hu, a Chinese journalist, was once prevented from flying because of his score. He couldn’t buy property or send his child to private school. His “untrustworthy” label was tied to an allegedly insincere public apology. And once you’re flagged, challenging your score is next to impossible — there’s no due process.

The system is fueled by a growing network of over 600 million surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology. With it, China’s government can track behaviors, enforce laws, and shape citizen conduct on a massive scale.

This is data collection used not just for personalization or efficiency, but for behavioral control.

The Creep Factor: Predicting Your Life

Retailers like Target have famously predicted personal details about customers based on purchasing data. One case revealed that the company could identify pregnant customers before they had publicly disclosed it—just from items in their cart. This allowed them to send targeted baby product coupons, sometimes before even close family members knew (Forbes).

Similarly, wearable devices like Nike FuelBand have collected and leveraged user health data to push personalized fitness recommendations—turning your habits into a marketing funnel.

Government Surveillance and the Death of Privacy

It’s not just corporations. Governments collect vast amounts of metadata, often without warrants, under the justification of national security.

• Metadata includes:
  • Who you spoke to
  • When and where
  • How long the interaction lasted

And while the content may not be collected (or so we’re told), patterns in metadata can reveal just as much. Your daily commute, medical appointments, personal relationships—everything leaves a trace.

In 2017, the U.S. Congress voted to repeal FCC privacy rules that required Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to get your consent before selling your browsing history. This allowed ISPs to legally profit from your online activity without giving you a say (Ars Technica).

When it comes to data collection, awareness is key; individuals must stay informed about how their data is utilized.

Government Surveillance and the Death of Privacy

It’s not just corporations. Governments collect vast amounts of metadata, often without warrants, under the justification of national security.

• Metadata includes:
  • Who you spoke to
  • When and where
  • How long the interaction lasted

And while the content may not be collected (or so we’re told), patterns in metadata can reveal just as much. Your daily commute, medical appointments, personal relationships—everything leaves a trace.

In 2017, the U.S. Congress voted to repeal FCC privacy rules that required Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to get your consent before selling your browsing history. This allowed ISPs to legally profit from your online activity without giving you a say (Ars Technica).

Corporate Overreach: GDPR vs. Big Tech

In response to increasing violations of privacy, the European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)—a set of laws designed to give users more control over their data.

Yet, even with GDPR in place, companies like Google have been fined millions for failing to comply. In 2019, France’s data watchdog (CNIL) fined Google €50 million for unclear consent practices and obfuscating user controls (AFP).

Google was accused of securing “forced consent” by making its services unavailable unless users accepted terms, violating the spirit of GDPR.

The Illusion of Consent

Every time you click “I agree” on a Terms of Service (TOS) page, you are often unknowingly giving companies the right to:

• Track your behavior
• Collect your personal data
• Use or sell your uploaded content

Even uploading a photo of your child could mean surrendering ownership rights of that image to a corporation that may use or sell it.

Data Collection and Social Engineering

What’s more troubling is how this data can be used against you:

• Hiring algorithms may filter out candidates based on data instead of skills.
• Loan approvals might be influenced by your social connections or online behavior.
• Data discrimination is real—where decisions about housing, jobs, or credit are influenced by predictive analytics rather than factual merit.

The logic? If your friends miss payments or live in “lower-value” zip codes, your digital profile might also take a hit.

The Right to Be Imperfect

Saying “I have nothing to hide” is naive. Your digital footprint can affect your job, your children’s future, and your financial opportunities. A mistake—or a joke—from 15 years ago might come back to haunt you.

Privacy is the right to be imperfect. Without it, we’re all better behaved, but far less human.

Is There a Way Forward?

While data can be used to solve global issues—from optimizing health care delivery to tracking pandemics—it must be used ethically and transparently.

The conversation needs to shift from “What are you hiding?” to “What are they collecting, and why?”

Takeaways

• Data collection is embedded into every digital interaction.
• Your personal data is extremely valuable—to marketers, governments, and data brokers.
• Regulation like GDPR is a step forward, but enforcement and awareness are key.
• You should always question: Am I okay with this being public?

Big Data, Big Incentives

We now generate 2.5 quintillion bytes of data per day. That number is growing as more of our devices go online. Everything from watches to refrigerators now connects to the internet — the so-called Internet of Things (IoT). With every connected device comes more data.

Companies use this data to:

• Understand consumer preferences
• Sell targeted advertisements
• Refine products
• Influence behavior

And the more data they collect, the more accurate — and powerful — their algorithms become.

One example: Google’s flu tracker was able to identify regional flu outbreaks just from search data and thermometer purchases, demonstrating how predictive algorithms can forecast behavior before it’s formally recorded.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn engages in extensive data collection through a variety of methods—some transparent, others more subtle. The most obvious source is the information users voluntarily provide when they create or update their profiles. This includes names, job titles, locations, education, skills, and work history. Every post, comment, like, or share further contributes to the platform’s data collection process. Users can also upload their contacts from email or phone, which LinkedIn uses to suggest new connections and expand its social graph.

Beyond the data users actively submit, LinkedIn continuously collects behavioral data based on how people interact with the platform. It monitors which profiles you view, how long you linger on posts, what you search for, and even your scrolling and mouse movements. Messaging activity is analyzed as well—partly to power features like Smart Replies and partly to enforce platform safety. Additionally, LinkedIn’s data collection extends to device-specific information such as IP addresses, browser type, operating system, and your location, gathered via GPS or Wi-Fi. This allows for comprehensive cross-device tracking, helping LinkedIn follow users across phones, tablets, and desktops.

The platform also supplements its internal data collection with third-party sources. Data brokers, public records, and enterprise tools feed additional information into LinkedIn’s systems—especially when used in corporate environments. For example, integrations with a company’s HR or recruiting software can enhance candidate profiles. Even LinkedIn buttons embedded on external websites act as data beacons, tracking users’ activity across the internet and feeding it back into LinkedIn’s data collection engine.

However, some aspects of LinkedIn’s data collection practices raise ethical concerns. One example is the creation of “shadow profiles”—records built from other users’ uploaded contacts, which allow LinkedIn to map connections between people who haven’t signed up or wish to remain private. The platform also uses machine learning to infer attributes such as career level or job trajectory, even when users don’t explicitly provide that data. These inferences fuel precise, and at times unsettling, ad targeting.

LinkedIn’s data collection isn’t limited to logged-in users. Through cookies and digital fingerprinting, it can track people across the web—even those without LinkedIn accounts. Employers may also use LinkedIn’s recruiter tools to keep tabs on employee activity, potentially flagging those who seem more active than usual. And since LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft, some of the collected data may be shared across other Microsoft services like Outlook, Teams, and Office 365, expanding the scope of data collection across an even broader ecosystem.

Your Devices Are Watching You

We often think of data tracking as something we consent to on websites or apps. But there are hidden dimensions.

Consider smart TVs.

How Smart TVs in Millions of U.S. Homes Track More Than What’s On Tonight

According to an in-depth report by The New York Times, companies like Samba TV have built sophisticated surveillance systems right into television sets — and most consumers don’t even realize it.

• Samba TV software is pre-installed on TVs by brands like Sony, TCL, Sharp, and Philips.
• When setting up a new TV, users are prompted to enable “Samba Interactive TV.”
• The prompt mentions recommendations and special offers but does not clearly explain the extent of data collection.
• Once enabled, the software can track every pixel on screen, second by second. It identifies shows, commercials, and even video games.
• It also maps other devices on the same Wi-Fi network, tracking behaviors across smartphones, tablets, and laptops in the household.

This enables advertisers to:

• Target ads across devices
• Tailor content based on viewing behavior
• Profile users based on media consumption — including political leanings

Real Advertisers, Real Surveillance

Advertisers such as JetBlue, Citi, and Expedia have worked with Samba TV to sync TV ads with digital ones. One marketing executive called the targeting “a little magical.”

JetBlue reported increased site visits by targeting users who watched its TV commercials. Citi praised the tech’s precision. Even the New York Times website supports Samba’s tracking pixels — though they claim it’s a matter of convenience for clients, not an endorsement.

The Fine Print Problem

• The Samba opt-in screen doesn’t show the full terms or privacy policy.
• Users must go online or navigate to separate screens to view them.
• The privacy policy is over 4,000 words, and the terms exceed 6,500 words.
• Once opted in, users are agreeing to a broad scope of surveillance.

Privacy experts have raised concerns:

• Justin Brookman (Consumers Union) said the trade-off isn’t clear.
• Jeffrey Chester (Center for Digital Democracy) criticized the lack of transparency around Samba’s “device map,” which tracks users across spaces and times — at work, at lunch, or on the road.

Despite these criticisms, Samba TV’s CEO claims the language is “as simple as it can be,” and the company insists that users are fully in control.

Smart TVs Aren’t Alone

Other companies in this space include:

• Inscape, the data arm of Vizio
• Alphonso, a startup known for embedding tracking in gaming apps to listen to TV audio via smartphone microphones

Vizio was fined $2.2 million for collecting and selling viewing data without consent. Samba TV even sued Alphonso for patent infringement, highlighting how competitive — and profitable — this surveillance sector has become.

Smart TVs fall under FTC oversight, not FCC rules. That means as long as the company isn’t lying to consumers — even if it makes opting out hard — it’s likely in the clear legally.

Beyond Ads: The Rise of Predictive Systems

What makes this more concerning is how similar techniques are used far beyond advertising.

• Education: Learning platforms analyze student performance to predict dropout risk or tailor content.
• Health: Wearables track heart rate, sleep, and activity to flag potential health issues.
• Policing: Predictive policing models identify high-risk areas or individuals — often perpetuating racial and socioeconomic bias.

Understanding the nuances of data collection is essential in today’s digital landscape.

And in the most extreme cases:

China’s Social Credit System

• Citizens are tracked across platforms, from shopping behavior to political statements.
• Low scores can result in travel restrictions, job loss, or public blacklisting.
• Over 600 million surveillance cameras support the system, alongside facial recognition and AI analytics.

What Can You Do?

1. Know your devices: Smart TVs, phones, fitness trackers, and even fridges may collect data.
2. Audit your settings: Opt out where possible. Disable tracking features you don’t use.
3. Use privacy tools: VPNs, ad blockers, and private browsers help reduce your data trail.
4. Push for legislation: Support efforts for stricter privacy protections.
5. Ask questions: If a service is free, ask how it makes money — often, it’s you.

So What Does This All Mean?

Data collection is no longer just about what ads you see or what shoes you buy — it’s about control, surveillance, and ethics.

We must ask:

• Who’s collecting our data?
• How is it being used?
• Who has access to it?
• What happens when it’s misused?

As individuals, it’s crucial to stay informed, ask questions, and support legislation that protects privacy and demands transparency. Data may be the new oil, but you are the well.

Final Thoughts

Data is power. Whether it’s predicting the flu, selling you sneakers, or shaping societal control — the information collected about you can and will be used.

The tools once limited to intelligence agencies are now embedded in everyday products. We need transparency, ethical standards, and above all, consent.

Because while you’re watching your screen, it may be watching you back.

Who’s watching the watchers?

Takeaways

• Data collection is embedded into every digital interaction.
• Your personal data is extremely valuable—to marketers, governments, and data brokers.
• Regulation like GDPR is a step forward, but enforcement and awareness are key.
• You should always question: Am I okay with this being public?

Further Reading

• For Sale: Your Private Browsing History – Ars Technica
• France Fines Google €50 Million – AFP
• How Target Figured Out a Teen Was Pregnant – Forbes

Moreover, the impact of data collection on society continues to spark debate about privacy and ethics.

With the extensive data collection happening today, our digital identities are more valuable than ever.