Monitoring, Surveillance, Sousveillance

Why do corporations and governments collect consumer data – that is, information people reveal through their use of devices and services? In truth, even companies often don’t know the answer. For their part, consumers certainly don’t know why businesses collect personal data, and this makes users anxious.

Many people view data collection as a form of surveillance. However, surveillance gathers intelligence for a specific purpose. The growth of the Internet of Things and smart homes means that government agencies and corporate entities collect data simply because they can. They posit that the data might prove...