Metadata means information about information. All digital information has metadata: an image file will specify size and location, and a message to a friend will show your IP address and timestamps. Metadata provides context about your data. Importantly, metadata is visible even when content is encrypted. The question is what does metadata reveal about us, and why are so many entities on the web collecting it?
Understand how your personal data is sold — and how to stop it at the source
6 mins read
A brief history of metadata surveillance
Nym researchers explain metadata
Who's collecting your metadata?
Metadata is the basis of mass surveillance systems, the scope of which is being fastly accelerated with Artificial Intelligence (AI). While encryption protects the content of our communications, metadata about everything we do online is being compiled to track our behavior and profile us. Nym tracks the history of metadata surveillance, the agents behind it, how this affects people’s daily lives, and what we can all do to protect our data. Research now shows that metadata may be the most overlooked – and exploited – privacy threat of our time
“Metadata absolutely tells you everything about somebody’s life. If you have enough metadata, you don’t really need content.”
– NSA’s General Counsel, Stewart Baker
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is passed in response to intelligence abuses by the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping on thousands of people.
Special FISA court established to review secret government requests before conducting electronic surveillance on U.S. persons. However, the use of metadata tools are subject to less judicial scrutiny.
1994: CALEA signed into US law
The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) is passed. All US telecoms companies are required to build wiretapping capabilities into their infrastructure to aid law enforcement agencies in capturing both data and metadata related to communications.
2001 USA PATRIOT Act signed into US law
Domestic surveillance programs were significantly broadened after the events of 9/11 through the PATRIOT act. Title II extends the metadata collection capabilities outlined in FISA so they apply to both US citizens and non-citizens. Section 215 allows bulk collection of phone metadata.
2002: NSA’s “Stellar Wind” begins
Secret surveillance program authorized by President Bush collects email metadata, internet activity logs, and phone call records of U.S. citizens without warrants. Operated in partnership with major telecom companies like AT&T and Verizon.
2005 Warrantless wiretapping exposed
Bush administration revealed to have been conducting warrantless wiretapping of Americans: international calls, messages, emails, leading to a mass collection of metadata.
