Science Friday Why Worry About My Data If I Have Nothing To Hide?
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Feb 5, 2026 Laura Moy, a Georgetown law professor and tech policy expert who has testified in Congress, breaks down how everyday tech creates a detailed trail about us. She describes how phones, apps and cameras generate location and activity data. She explains where that data flows, how brokers combine records, and why federal privacy protections lag.
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Phones Are Constant Data Engines
- Our smartphones constantly generate rich data about where we go, who we contact, and what apps we use.
- Laura Moy warns that virtually all of that information may be subject to collection by many parties.
Faces And Cameras Track You Too
- Cameras and facial data follow us even when we don't carry phones, and faces are data we 'carry' everywhere.
- Moy notes government apps can attempt real-time identification using those images.
Location Off Isn't Absolute Privacy
- Turning off location services helps but doesn't stop all tracking because ads and networks can leak location data.
- Moy explains mobile ad spots can carry location info to advertising networks without your awareness.