tech
March 5, 2026
Checking your ex’s socials or overusing Find My Friends? Welcome to the age of interpersonal surveillance
Invasive behaviour that would have shocked us a decade ago now barely registers. And that includes the way we digitally track and monitor each other
TL;DR
- A TikTok prank involving a fake ICE tip line highlighted civilians' willingness to participate in surveillance.
- Societal comfort with corporate and government data collection has led to increased demands for similar access in personal lives.
- Invasive behaviors like constant location sharing, checking partners' messages, and recording strangers are becoming normalized.
- Consumers feel a lack of control over how companies and governments use their data, leading to greater tolerance for personal surveillance.
- Digital monitoring and control have become common in romantic partnerships, often substituting for direct communication.
- Interpersonal surveillance is prevalent in family life, with parents tracking children's locations and communications well into adulthood.
- Public shaming and recording individuals for minor infractions have become common online.
- Interpersonal surveillance does not strengthen relationships and can lead to shallower connections, control, and abuse.
- Organizations advocating for domestic violence victims have highlighted how tracking features can be used by abusers.
- Public outcry against invasive tech like Ring's AI scanning is an anomaly; apathy or resignation is more common.
- Meta's plans for facial recognition on smart glasses suggest political turmoil can distract from privacy concerns.
- Individuals can resist the pervasive surveillance culture by declining to monitor and be monitored, reclaiming personal sovereignty.
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