The problem is not just that we’re being tracked more than ever; it’s that everyone is actively paying for the surveillance. Video doorbell ownership in the US rose from 4% to over a 35% between 2017 and 2024. Smart TVs – which track and sell your viewing analytics – are now in 86% of homes, up from 47% a couple of years ago. 75% of cars shipped in 2024 were embedded with cellular modems, permanently streaming live data about drivers and passengers. The average online household in the US has a staggering 17 connected devices. And the data-broker market – the industry buying and selling your personal information – will soon reach $500 billion annually. We have more eyes on us than at any point in history, more people analysing our every move, and a lot of questionable legality about it all.

So, Why Do People Keep Saying Yes to Surveillance?

Most of this monitoring comes paired with features people do actually want. They buy smart doorbells for delivery alerts, accept TV recommendations and use streaming services for their favourite shows, use voice commands to stay organised, and connect to their cars for live traffic updates and remote start capabilities. These are each small conveniences that are traded for a high premium: their privacy. The result is a persistent, ever-growing trail of where you live, when you leave, where you go, what you watch, who is at your door or in your car, and how you make decisions. That trail generates billions of dollars for data brokers, ad networks, and pricing engines – and most people don’t even know it’s happening.