E-commerce, Autonomous Vehicles, and Abuse Tech Raise Privacy Alarms

Recent reports highlight growing concerns over digital surveillance across various sectors, impacting consumers, neighborhoods, and vulnerable individuals. AliExpress has been found to be silently running audio in browsers, a practice that could be used for device fingerprinting and tracking users without their explicit consent. This discovery adds to a growing list of ways online platforms may be collecting user data beyond what is immediately apparent.

Meanwhile, the expansion of autonomous vehicle technology brings its own set of privacy implications. Waymo vehicles, even when parked, have been observed recording neighborhood activity, raising questions about the extent of data collection by these vehicles and how it is being used or stored. Concurrently, a study suggests that devices marketed to detect spying equipment may offer a false sense of security to domestic abuse victims, potentially leaving them exposed to continued surveillance.