For centuries, privacy has meant keeping secrets. Now, even your own body is betraying that right. The “Internet of Bodies” is here: smart devices track your heartbeat, sleep cycles, even your menstrual cycle, turning personal data into a commodity. This isn’t just about self-improvement; it’s about constant surveillance, where your breathing patterns could become evidence in a police investigation.
The desire for self-awareness isn’t new, but these technologies take it to another level. Millions use smartwatches that nudge them to exercise, but these devices are also logging every step, every breath. That data isn’t just for fitness; it’s increasingly under scrutiny. The line between personal tracking and state surveillance is blurring rapidly.
Medical Data Under Pressure
While some embrace digital tracking for healthcare—smart pacemakers, digital pills monitoring medication adherence, smart bandages detecting infections—the potential downsides are enormous. Digital pills can inform doctors (or parole officers) if you skip doses, and your smartwatch data could reveal drug use or sexual activity.
The stakes are rising with new laws criminalizing abortion. Period trackers, used by tens of millions, collect intimate details about cycles, mood, and partners. In states restricting abortion, this data could be used as evidence against individuals. Even femtech companies like Premom have been caught selling reproductive data to third parties, including Google and firms in China, without disclosure.
Mental Health Data as a Target
The rise of mental health apps and online therapy adds another layer of vulnerability. BetterHelp, with over 2 million users, was fined for selling mental health data to Facebook. Mozilla’s investigation found many mental health apps lax on privacy, even sharing data with advertisers or law enforcement. Suicide prevention services have been caught feeding data to Facebook through automated tracking tools.
Biometric Databases: The Next Stage
Law enforcement is heavily investing in biometric databases, including the FBI’s Next Generation Information (NGI) system, which stores faceprints, voice profiles, DNA, and more. States are building similar databases, sometimes through ethically questionable means, like offering dismissals for DNA samples.
In New Jersey, newborns are required to provide blood samples for genetic screening, with the DNA retained for 23 years, potentially used in criminal cases. New technologies are accelerating DNA matching, allowing identification from physical traces and rapid processing for investigations.
Face Recognition: The Ubiquitous Surveillance Tool
Face recognition is becoming a default tool for law enforcement. A theft case in Manhattan was solved using surveillance footage and face recognition, identifying the suspect instantly. But the technology isn’t foolproof. False arrests occur: Nijeer Parks spent 10 days in jail based on a faulty face-recognition match.
AI models are prone to errors, particularly with women and people of color. NYPD investigators have even substituted faces for matches, and biased datasets skew results. Yet, face recognition is already being used in high-profile cases, including January 6 riot investigations and deportation proceedings.
The Erosion of Bodily Autonomy
The Fourth Amendment offers little protection in this new reality. Our bodies constantly leak data: DNA in public spaces, faces exposed in crowds, biometric trails from smart devices. The law hasn’t caught up, and the assumption that anything in public is fair game for surveillance is undermining personal autonomy.
This isn’t just about privacy; it’s about control over your own body and data. The future of surveillance isn’t just watching you; it’s knowing you, down to your deepest biological secrets. The question isn’t whether this will happen, but whether we’ll allow it to become the new normal.
