Shawn Ryan Show: Byron Tau on Data Brokers, Surveillance Pricing & Privacy

The government may not need a warrant when it can simply buy the data trail you leave behind. In this condensed recap of Shawn Ryan Show with host Shawn Ryan and investigative reporter Byron Tau, ProPublica journalist and author of Means of Control breaks down how consumer data, location tracking, data brokers, and AI are reshaping surveillance, pricing, and national security. We cover how companies build detailed consumer profiles, why “surveillance pricing” could charge people based on what algorithms think they’ll pay, and how U.S. agencies, police, and intelligence services tap the same commercial data ecosystem. Tau also explains why current privacy law and the Fourth Amendment struggle to keep up, how foreign adversaries can exploit global data markets, and what everyday steps can reduce exposure—from encryption and app permissions to burner numbers and privacy-first tools. Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.