In this three-part series, we’ve explored the main forms of surveillance that affect your online privacy in 2025.
From AI-powered mass surveillance and facial recognition in public spaces (part one) to digital assistants always listening and workplace monitoring (part two), it’s never been more important to safeguard your sensitive data.
In this final installment, we’ll delve into two more shocking ways that governments and big tech can spy on you: biometric data collection and social media scrutiny.
5. Biometric data collection
Data like your fingerprint, face, or even retinal scans offer an easy way to unlock mobile devices. Still, this kind of biometric data can be exploited.
Some ways in which these seemingly convenient features can lead to long-term privacy risks include:
Potential breaches
If your biometric data is stolen this is much more serious than theft of information like passwords, which can be changed.
In 2024, over five million citizens of El Salvador discovered this the hard way after their headshots were released onto the dark web.
Misuse of data
Even when biometric data isn’t hacked, it can still be misused e.g. by collecting and selling it to third parties without the owner’s consent.
In July 2024, the Attorney General of Texas secured a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta over Facebook’s ‘Tag suggestions’. This ran facial recognition algorithms on users’ faces without fully explaining to users how the feature worked or obtaining their consent.
Identity theft
Fraudsters have long exploited personal information to impersonate innocent people. Biometric data is no exception. Fingerprints are particularly at risk of this, as if a hacker can obtain the digital representation of your fingerprint data they can try to build a copy to fool capacitive scanners, such as those used in smart locks.
How to fight back against biometric data collection
Use biometric data sparingly
Just because a device or service can store your biometric data doesn’t mean you have to use it. If you have to provide a fingerprint or iris scan, limit this to essential services only.
Manage biometric data permissions
In the above example, Meta was able to gather facial recognition data for so long from Texans as they weren’t aware it was happening. Carefully check the privacy and data collection policies of every platform you use, to ensure your biometric data is being processed properly. Check in-app settings to control how the data is used.
Use secure alternatives
Remember, if a PIN code or password is stolen you can just change it. The same isn’t true for your face or fingerprints. This is why you should choose secure alternatives where possible. For example, while most modern iOS devices support Face ID facial recognition, you can disable this and use a passcode instead.
6. Social media scrutiny
As the saying goes: if you’re not paying for it, you’re the product. Social media platforms live by this to analyze likes, posts, and interactions to predict user behavior.
This data can be used for legitimate purposes like serving targeted ads, but sometimes it can be misused.
One of the best examples of this was the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In 2014, contractors and employees of the firm acquired the private data of millions of Facebook users. This was then used for political advertising without the owners’ consent.
In March 2025, South Korea’s Supreme Court also dismissed an appeal by Meta against a $4.6 million by the country’s privacy regulator. This was related to Facebook sharing personal information of over 3 million users to third parties, without the users’ knowledge or consent.
How to fight back against social media scrutiny
Limit data sharing
Social media companies make money from the information you choose to post. It stands to reason that the fewer posts, photos and other media you upload to platforms the less chance there is that the data can be misused. You can still share content with family and friends using secure, encrypted messaging apps like Signal.
Configure privacy settings
If you have to share information over social media, you can use the site’s privacy settings to customize its visibility. Facebook supports limiting post visibility to confirmed ‘friends only’. You can also customize aspects of your profile like your friends lists and contact information so that only you can see them.
Use privacy-friendly extensions
Social media platforms find it much harder to track users who use privacy-focused browsers and extensions. For example, the uBlock Origin browser add-on prevents most adverts from loading. Extensions like Ghostery block most types of trackers.
Choose privacy-focused platforms
Certain social media platforms like Bluesky and diaspora* offer much greater control over user data. These are usually open-source and adopt a ‘federated’ model so you can run your own social media instances. This makes it much less likely that your data will be shared without your consent.
Run regular audits
No matter what social media platform you use, review permissions granted to third-party apps. If you no longer use an app, remove it. You should also double-check specific app permissions e.g. being able to access your friends list.
Empower your digital privacy
Throughout this series, we’ve covered six of the most shocking ways in which you’re being spied on, as well as the best ways to protect your online privacy.
Staying safe on the Internet means staying vigilant and proactive. That means making immediate changes in your online habits, including:
- Switch to an open-source, privacy-friendly alternative like Brave or LibreWolf.
- Examine the privacy policies and settings for all online platforms that you use.
- Limit the information you share online like biometric data unless it’s essential.
- Use a reliable VPN to encrypt your Internet traffic.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Take control of your digital life today.
Stay informed with your online security and read more about how you are being spied in part 1 and part 2 of this blog series.
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