Stephanie Hughes

I'm Stephanie Hughes, and that's Marketplace Tech.

This is APM.

Private companies track our digital data.

Should the government be able to as well?

From American Public Media, this is Marketplace Tech.

I'm Stephanie Hughes.

We create digital breadcrumbs all the time.

When we buy something online, when we post on social media, when we look up directions on the internet.

This is data generally collected by private companies.

But how and when should the government be able to access it?

There have been lawsuits filed recently against the Department of Homeland Security over its collection and use of data.

Joining me now to talk about this is Jeremy Scott.

He directs the Surveillance Oversight Program at the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

I asked him to walk me through how the government collects data about us.

You touched on this briefly, but just to underline it, how does the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable search and seizure, play into this?

We'll be right back.

You're listening to Marketplace Tech.

I'm Stephanie Hughes.

We're back with Jeremy Scott, Senior Counsel and Director of the Surveillance Oversight Program at the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

What are you most worried about with this data collection?