Tech started out like Santa Claus. It saw you when you were sleeping, it knew when you were awake — but in a cute and harmless way. For those of us preoccupied with protein and presentations, it helpfully calculated our macros, set up our calendar, even reminded us to leave on time. When Netflix says, “We think you’ll like these” we actually did. We loved it.
Now, tech is more like that creepy stalker from Baby Reindeer. It not only tracks our every move, it knows what our next move will be. Because each new smart device we bring into our lives reveals a little more about ourselves to the bots (and to the companies who run those bots). JioHotstar knows you stream Euphoria around dinner time. Your Oura Ring knows you’re in bed by 11pm. Insta knows you’re scrolling until 1am. Nike knows you were looking at sneakers. Strava knows what time you’ve dragged yourself out of bed to run. MyFitnessPal knows you like a post-jog mango-matcha latte these days. If you have a smart bottle, even your water intake is linked to the same phone number and email – and somewhere there’s a You folder, filling up.
This is the kind of rich data manufacturers crave. They know exactly what you want and what will convince you to buy (Duh, a midnight flash sale, with 25% off Pegasus Premiums, with points you can redeem on matcha lattes). And it connects more than your fitness routine. Your UPI apps track every transaction. Food delivery apps know your home, workplace, eating habits, and your menstrual cycle based on your orders. Shopping lists, wishlists, underwear size, delivery time slots, restaurant reservations, commute times, family size and location – data has a way of spilling out without you ever knowing.
We’ve learnt about these “dark patterns” by now. They nudge users into sharing information or making purchases they wouldn’t otherwise, says Divij Joshi, 32, a research fellow at ODI Global, London. In a 2026 experiment, Princeton University examined 23 AI models on how susceptible they were to sponsored content, when humans booked flights, compared loans and made shopping requests. Each model was given a sponsored option and a better one. In 18 of the 23 models, the AI provided the sponsored recommendation more than half the time. Asking to book a brand by name didn’t help; the AI offered up the more expensive one (sometimes 2x the price, the one you didn’t ask for), most of the time. Prompts and filters didn’t help. The researchers asked the AI to ignore the sponsored feeds – but they still showed up 90% of the time. Worse, the AI knew rich customers from poor, and inflated prices for the same products and services accordingly.
Smart devices continue tracking you even after you log off. The Roomba as it mops, maps your floor plan and knows when you’re home or remotely operating it. Your door camera tracks how many parcels arrive. Your quick-delivery app knows if someone at home is pregnant or elderly, and if you just got a cat. It all contributes to surveillance and surge pricing, in which a company can charge you more, simply because they know you will pay for more.
Data builds quick. It’s been building a digital twin of you so accurate it can predict you’re about to burn out or break up even before you do. It’s no coincidence that your Instagram feed suddenly knows you need a solo trip to Thailand or starts showing you singles’ events nearby.
And forget about crying in the car. A recent Mozilla Foundation report labelled cars the “worst product category” for privacy. Brands such as BMW, Ford and Toyota can collect data on everything from facial expressions to sexual activity, often sharing it with third parties.
“Marketing is the friendliest face of data mining,” says Apar Gupta, lawyer, writer and founding director of Internet Freedom Foundation. “Once you’ve shared your personal information, you have very little visibility or control over how it is used,” says Joshi. India has laws such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, meant to regulate how companies collect and use personal data, but enforcement remains weak. If you’re worried (and you should be), here’s a thumb rule: If it’s free, you’re probably the product, and every random permission request is a red flag.
From HT Brunch, May 16, 2026
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