Online Advertising: When Surveillance Capitalism and the Surveillance State Grow Together

European law enforcement agencies are increasingly leveraging data streams originating from the online advertising ecosystem for surveillance purposes, raising significant privacy concerns. Recent investigations reveal that German police forces, including in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, have accessed granular location data derived from mobile phones, data that is often collected by tracking firms from popular applications without user consent. This practice blurs the lines between commercial surveillance capitalism and state surveillance, creating new avenues for monitoring citizens. The data in question, sourced from "data brokers," is gathered through sophisticated tracking mechanisms embedded in numerous apps, often without users' explicit knowledge or consent. This allows for the sale of precise location information, potentially exposing individuals to unwanted scrutiny. The accessibility of such data raises alarms for vulnerable groups like journalists and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as posing broader national security risks, as evidenced by past incidents involving US military personnel. This growing reliance on commercial data streams by law enforcement is problematic, as the collection and trading of this information likely violate the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The lack of transparency from German authorities regarding their data broker procurements further fuels suspicion that illicit practices are occurring within a shadowy data market. This situation underscores a critical challenge in balancing security needs with fundamental privacy rights in the digital age.