The 24 ways we’re tracked on a regular basis reveal something disturbing about the future
This list, instead, tallies the kind of tracking an average person might encounter on an ordinary day in the United States. Each example has been sourced officially or from a major publication.
Car movements – Every car since 2006 contains a chip that records your speed, braking, turns, mileage, accidents whenever you start your car.
Highway traffic – Cameras on poles and sensors buried in highway record the location of cars by license plates and fast-track badges. Seventy million plates are recorded each month.
Ride-share taxis – Uber, Lyft, and other decentralized rides record your trips.
Long-distance travel – Your travel itinerary for air flights and trains is recorded.
Drone surveillance – Along U.S. borders, Predator drones monitor and record outdoor activities.
Postal mail – The exterior of every piece of paper mail you send or receive is scanned and digitized.
Utilities – Your power and water usage patterns are kept by utilities. (Garbage is not cataloged, yet.)
Cell phone location and call logs – Where, when, and who you call (meta-data) is stored for months. Some phone carriers routinely store the contents of calls and messages for days to years.