Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government Is Creating a New American Surveillance State

Price: $19.92
(as of Apr 06, 2024 11:17:28 UTC – Details)

You are currently under surveillance. This extensive report exposes how the U.S. government collaborated with data brokers, technology companies, and advertisers to monitor us through our phones and home devices.

“A revealing . . . startling . . . timely . . . fascinating, sometimes terrifying examination of the decline of privacy in the digital age.”—Kirkus Reviews

“That evening, I was given a glimpse inside a hidden world. . . . An entirely new kind of surveillance program—one designed to track everyone.”

Over the past five years, journalist Byron Tau has been uncovering a secret narrative: how every digital device in the world has become a tool for intelligence, surveillance, and monitoring, starting from a chance encounter at a dinner party.

Our modern world is saturated with surveillance, but most of us are only vaguely aware of it. Do you ever feel like an ad is “following” you online? The true capabilities of our technology to unveil our habits and behaviors would shock most people. All this surveillance has generated a wealth of valuable data about each individual, and the biggest customer is the U.S. government.

Following 9/11, the U.S. government, in collaboration with numerous anonymous companies, constructed a surveillance apparatus that can peek into the lives of nearly everyone on Earth. This world of data brokers and government officials has one objective—to gather as much information as possible—resulting in a bizarre landscape where defense contractors have marketing arms and marketing firms have ties to defense contractors. And the public remains mostly unaware of it.

Revealing and thought-provoking, Means of Control is the definitive story of our perilous bargain—ubiquitous, inexpensive technology, but at what cost?

• Welcome to the world of 24/7 surveillance.
• Shane Harris calls it “A testament to the singular and indispensable power of journalism.”
• Jack Goldsmith calls it “Extraordinary.”
• Kirkus Reviews calls it “Startling.”

Publisher: Crown (February 27, 2024)
Language: English
Hardcover: 400 pages
ISBN-10: 0593443225
ISBN-13: 978-0593443224
Item Weight: 1.34 pounds
Dimensions: 6.34 x 1.3 x 9.56 inches

**Additional Information**:
– Defense contractors and marketing companies have intertwined subsidiaries.
– Foreign and domestic surveillance has reached a scope that can observe nearly everyone on the planet.

**FAQ**:
1. How has surveillance changed in the digital age?
2. What role do data brokers play in monitoring individuals?
3. What can individuals do to protect their privacy in the face of extensive surveillance?