How Data Brokers and Facial Recognition Enable Real-Time Tracking in the U.S.

Smartphones, license-plate cameras, and online ads feed a vast data ecosystem that tracks where you go, who you meet, and what you do. In this episode, Laura Moy explains how private data brokers collect, combine, and sell personal information to advertisers and government agencies, and how facial recognition and location data enable real-time tracking. The discussion covers why data can be tied together across sources, why privacy laws have not kept pace, and what opt-out options exist. Moy highlights the risks to immigrant and low-wage communities and calls for stronger federal protections. Flora Lichtman adds practical privacy measures and urges policy reforms to safeguard society rather than blaming individuals.

Introduction and Context

In this episode of Science Friday, Flora Lichtman speaks with Laura Moy, associate professor of law at Georgetown Law, about how pervasive data collection has become, reaching from smartphones and cars to facial recognition used in the field. Moy explains that private data brokers collect information from multiple sources and sell access to advertisers, employers, and government agencies. This reality means a protest photo, a direct message, or a routine trip can become data points in a surveillance ecosystem.

"We all carry a very powerful tracking and computing device with us everywhere we go now. It's our smartphone." - Laura Moy, associate professor of law, Georgetown Law

The Data Ecosystem: From Phones to Ads

Moy traces the pathways that connect our devices to a web of collectors, brokers, and buyers. Data can flow from cell providers, device makers, apps, and websites to data brokers who aggregate, resell, or provide access to information about location, behavior, and identity. Advertising networks can capture location signals to serve targeted ads, even when users think they’re not sharing data. The implication is that private information about routines and associations can be compiled into rich profiles used for tracking and influence.

"There are cameras everywhere now that track where our cars are going." - Laura Moy, associate professor of law, Georgetown Law

Data Brokers and Cross-Source Linkage

The episode emphasizes the ability to combine disparate data streams. Palantir’s platform, Moy explains, links data from many sources and can allow agencies like ICE to pull together a profile quickly, sometimes adding information gathered by field agents. This capability means a single person can be located and followed across time using a mix of records, images, and signals.

"Palantir's platform links data from lots of different sources and enables ICE to pull from all of those sources about one person." - Laura Moy, associate professor of law, Georgetown Law

Privacy Laws, Policy Barriers, and the Political Landscape

The discussion turns to why comprehensive federal privacy legislation has not passed. Moy points to the rapid pace of technological change, the mismatch between new capabilities and existing laws, and the profit model tied to data-driven advertising. While some state-level protections exist, enforcement gaps and industry pushback limit effectiveness. The episode highlights that privacy protections must consider misuses that target vulnerable communities, including immigrants and low-wage workers.

Opt-Outs, Personal Protocols, and What Can Be Done

Beyond policy reforms, Moy notes the practical limits of individual action. Lichtman shares privacy practices like using encrypted messaging apps and staying mindful of tracking. The conversation stresses that societal solutions—robust privacy laws, data-broker oversight, and strong regulatory frameworks—are needed to curb systemic risks rather than placing the burden on individuals.

"I opt out of information and data sharing whenever I can. I use encrypted communications whenever I can, like Signal." - Flora Lichtman

Conclusion and Takeaways

The episode invites listeners to consider how private data ecosystems impact daily life and the stakes for marginalized communities. Moy argues for stronger protections to curb misuse by ICE and other authorities, while Lichtman stresses advocacy and policy reform as pathways to reshape the data landscape.

"We really should be passing stronger privacy laws to protect those folks." - Laura Moy