GOOD

Every Move You Make (They'll be Tracking You)

How safe is your data?

 Doug Patterson
03.08.16

This branded content story is presented in collaboration with Participant Media's Truth and Power, a new investigative documentary TV series on Pivot that tells the stories of ordinary people going to extraordinary lengths to expose breaches of public trust by private institutions and governments. Watch all-new episodes of Truth and Power every Friday at 10 p.m. ET / PT, only on Pivot.

On the rare occasions that we lift our eyes from our mobile devices, everywhere we look, we see more and more people staring at their phones. With technology having become such a major part of our lives, it's no wonder that 90% of the data in existence was created in the last two years alone. What's crazier is that nearly everything we do on our mobile devices can and is being tracked by what are called Data Brokers. These companies and people gather, analyze, and sell our personal information to advertisers and marketers for billions of dollars. These advertisers, in turn, can have access to all kinds of information about us -- our age, location, likes, dislikes, buying habits, religious practices, even our daily movements -- in an attempt to better target their efforts.

With little government regulation on these data brokers, they're able to do as they please with our information -- whether obtained legally, like through an app to which we've provided too much access, or illegally, like when a data breach occurs. With data breaches happening more and more, and data collection becoming more thorough and intricate, it might be time to ask -- do you know how much data you create? And do you know where it's going?​

Pivot’s “Know Your Rights” campaign, in association with the ACLU of Southern California, empowers you to learn more about your civil liberties in the digital age. To join those who are exposing corruption, fighting abuses of power, and demanding transparency, visit the Truth and Power website now.

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