Speaker
Jen Golbeck
Appearances over time
1 episodes
Episodes
1
Podcasts
Quotes & moments
There are over 100,000 automated license plate reading cameras in the US, recording not just plates but make, model, color, dents, and bumper stickers.
Law enforcement can buy citizens' data from private companies with no warrant and no probable cause, circumventing constitutional protections.
An amendment to close the FISA data broker loophole — which lets government buy bulk data on US citizens without warrants — failed on a tie vote, and was not even brought to the floor the following year.
Cambridge Analytica built detailed psychological profiles of millions of Americans using stolen social media data, selling the insights to political campaigns who used them for micro-targeted Facebook ads to manipulate votes.
Clearview AI built a facial recognition database from social media images taken without permission and sells access to immigration officials including ICE.
Ring announced a partnership with Flock Safety to integrate doorbell footage into a license plate camera network with law enforcement access, but canceled it after customer backlash.
Kroger planned to test camera-enabled shelf labels in stores but abandoned the plan after customer boycott threats and Congressional investigation.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) expressly prohibits bulk data collection on US citizens, but the government routinely circumvents this by buying the data from private companies.
Modern cars record acceleration, speed, and braking data, which is shared with data brokers who sell it to insurance companies, who then use it to change rates.
Airlines Reporting Corporation, a data broker owned by major US airlines, sells passenger flight records to the government including Customs and Border Protection.
Dynamic surveillance-based pricing, already used online for airline tickets and clothing, is now moving offline and being deployed in physical retail stores.
Golbeck argues data colonialism is one of few issues that can unite liberals and conservatives because it violates values central to both — limited government and civil rights.
Modern vehicles record acceleration, speed, and braking, then share that data with brokers who sell it to insurance companies to adjust your rates. Meanwhile, your phone tracks every business you walk into and the identities of everyone nearby.
Surveillance-based dynamic pricing already adjusts what you pay for flights and clothing online based on your data profile. Now it's moving offline into physical retail — meaning the price you see at the shelf may soon depend on what corporations know about you.
Data colonialism doesn't just feel bad — it systematically dismantles constitutional rights. Profiling chills free speech. Monitoring associations erodes freedom of assembly. Opaque algorithms eliminate due process. Constant data mining makes the Fourth Amendment meaningless.
Ring canceled its plan to share doorbell footage with Flock Safety's law enforcement network after customer backlash. Kroger dropped camera-enabled shelf labels after boycott threats and Congressional scrutiny. Public pressure wins — when people apply it.
The founders said it is our right and duty to throw off oppressive systems — and Golbeck argues that applies to tech companies and government surveillance agencies today. Our data is ours, and reclaiming it is how democracy survives.
Local surveillance contracts, data center permits, and law enforcement data purchases can all be challenged at the community level. Show up to town meetings, demand records, insist contracts be canceled — and if officials refuse, vote them out.
Over 100,000 automated license plate readers in the US capture make, model, color, and bumper stickers — meaning removing your plate won't hide you. These networks have already been used to track protest attendees, stalk individuals, and trace women who fled states with abortion bans.
Airlines sell your flight records to border control. Clearview AI scrapes your face from social media for immigration enforcement. Cambridge Analytica stole your Facebook data to manipulate your vote. These aren't edge cases — they're the business model.
Corporations and governments extract data from people the same way colonial powers extracted land and resources — concentrating it for profit and using it to entrench the system. Jen Golbeck argues we've traded plantation owners for tech companies, and the result is the same: extraction without consent.
FISA expressly bans bulk data collection on US citizens, but the government simply buys it from private companies instead — no warrant, no court order required. An amendment to close this loophole failed on a tie vote, and the following year it wasn't even allowed to reach the floor.
Analysis
What they talk about
- Government 33%
- Society & Culture 33%
- Technology 17%
- History 9%
- True Crime 8%
