How our digital devices are putting our right to privacy at risk

We live in a digitally connected world that has brought undeniable personal benefits. I can barely recall the pre-Google Maps era, but it was far less convenient to navigate unfamiliar places without a Siri-enabled smart phone (and/or Apple Car Play). We use fitness tracking apps, our home appliances are increasingly digitally connected, and many homes have security systems like Nest cameras or home assistants like Alexa or Amazon Echo. But what are we giving up for all this digital convenience? We are creating a huge amount of private personal data on a daily basis and yet, legally, it’s unclear when and how that data can be turned against us by law enforcement and the judicial system.

George Washington University law professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson tackles that knotty question in his new book, Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance. Ferguson is an ...