How Surveillance Culture Quietly Undermines Privacy

You probably use your phone to pay for groceries, track your steps, or talk with your doctor. You might wear a fitness tracker, have a smart speaker in your kitchen, or use location sharing with family. Each of these conveniences leaves a trail of personal data.

By midlife, your digital footprint spans decades. You’ve built careers, raised families, paid taxes, and interacted with countless health and financial systems. Every click, tap, and swipe adds another layer of exposure.

Chances are, you found this article through a few online searches or a ChatGPT request—and yes, that leaves a digital footprint, too. It isn’t all bad but understanding how it works is essential.

For adults in their 40s and beyond, that exposure carries weight. You’re more likely to:

• Have sensitive financial and health data tied to decades of activity.
• Use medical and caregiving technology more frequently.
• Own multiple online accounts with outdated or forgotten privacy settings.
• Be targeted by scams and data brokers because of your age group.

Unlike your 20s, you now have more at stake: your savings, your health records, your privacy, and the dignity of your future care.

The Psychological Weight of Living in a World That Tracks You

If you grew up in the 1980s, you probably remember Rockwell’s hit song “Somebody’s Watching Me.” Back then, it was a catchy pop tune with a hint of paranoia —a playful nod to the feeling that someone was always looking over your shoulder.

Who's watching?

Tell me, who's watching?

Who's watching me?

I always feel like somebody's watchin' me

And I have no privacy (Oh-oh-oh)

I always feel like somebody's watchin' me 

Today, that feeling isn’t just a lyric. It’s real life, and no, you are not being paranoid. Every search, click, and scroll is quietly recorded, analyzed, and stored. You may not see it happening, but you’re living in a world that tracks your digital every move.

Constant observation isn’t just a technical problem. It affects your emotional well-being.

A 2023 American Psychological Association survey found 68% of adults experience anxiety tied to digital surveillance and data exposure. Older adults feel it even more, as technology increasingly overlaps with healthcare, retirement planning, and even caregiving responsibilities.

• A Lancet Psychiatry study linked heavy digital tracking to a 25% higher risk of depressive symptoms, especially in middle-aged adults balancing work, family, and health concerns.
• USC Annenberg research shows that the human brain now processes 74 gigabytes of information daily, which is equivalent to watching 16 movies every day.

Many of us felt that privacy is a right that we all enjoy. Today, it seems we are fighting to preserve some privacy, but it becomes even more difficult each day.

We are finally coming to understand that privacy is not private. That was an illusion largely put out there and kept alive by the digital platforms. — Harvard Professor Shoshana Zuboff, interview with Business Insider.

Simple steps to ease the strain:

• Dedicate one or two evenings a week to unplug completely.
• Silence all nonessential notifications.
• Use privacy-focused browsers and email accounts.
• Seek professional help if technology-related anxiety becomes chronic.

How Surveillance Creeps into Your Closest Relationships

Surveillance often begins at home, sometimes with good intentions. Adult children may use cameras or trackers to check in on parents. Spouses may share location data for safety. Caregivers may set up monitoring systems for early health alerts.

But without boundaries, these tools can quietly erode trust. Some couples report conflict related to digital surveillance, such as location tracking, password sharing, or phone monitoring.

Among caregiving families, tensions often rise when safety measures feel invasive.

Common flashpoints include:

• GPS tracking that continues indefinitely.
• Smart speakers that record by default.
• Cameras installed without discussion.

To preserve trust and dignity:

• Establish consent agreements with family members.
• Turn off always-on listening features.
• Review who has access to any monitoring devices.
• Put boundaries in writing when caregiving is involved.

Midlife Withdrawal: When Fear of Exposure Leads to Isolation

The more data that’s collected about you, the more cautious you may become about what you say and share. That fear can lead to withdrawal.

The World Health Organization has warned that loneliness and social withdrawal are rising worldwide, particularly among older adults, and that technology use can contribute to isolation when it replaces meaningful in-person connections.

After major privacy scandals like Cambridge Analytica, one in four users quit Facebook, and many moved to encrypted apps. But for anyone in their 40s, 50s, and beyond, disappearing online can create isolation, especially for those managing caregiving or chronic health conditions.

Balancing privacy and connection:

• Use privacy-forward platforms, but don’t disengage entirely.
• Participate in offline activities to maintain human contact.
• Keep technology intentional, not constant.
• Take privacy literacy courses—just as important as fitness at this age.

Your Digital Past May Shape Your Financial Future

By midlife, your online history is long and detailed. That history can affect your job prospects, creditworthiness, and even your access to certain financial products.

• The Society for Human Resource Management reports that many employers today check social media before hiring or promoting.
• Data brokers like Spokeo and Whitepages compile personal data that can influence credit or insurance decisions.

Today, digital databases are used to some degree in the underwriting of Long-Term Care Insurance and life insurance. Some life insurers will use social media and online behavioral data (directly or indirectly).

Prescription drug history databases and other health digital footprints show your health insurance use, and even whether you have ever been declined for health, life, or Long-Term Care Insurance.

Steps to take control of your data:

• Use opt-out services such as DeleteMe or Kanary.
• Set Google Alerts for your name.
• Regularly update professional profiles and old accounts.
• Correct inaccuracies before they affect your future.

If reputation damage already exists, consider professional online reputation repair to suppress outdated or misleading content.

U.S. Privacy Landscape: Patchwork Rules with Real Gaps

HIPAA: Health Care Privacy

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects your health information when held by covered entities—like your doctor or insurer. But HIPAA does not cover most consumer health apps or wearables. If you use a fitness tracker, telehealth platform, or caregiving app that isn’t part of your doctor’s system, your data may not be protected.

FTC Health Breach Notification Rule

This federal rule requires many health apps to notify you (and the FTC) if your data is breached. It’s an important layer—but it doesn’t restrict everyday sharing or sale of your data.

State Privacy Laws

Because the U.S. has no comprehensive federal privacy law, protection depends heavily on where you live.

California (CCPA/CPRA + Delete Act):

• You can access, delete, correct, and limit the use of your personal data.
• The new Delete Act creates a centralized tool allowing residents to delete their data from all registered data brokers at once, with ongoing deletion requirements.

This is a powerful tool for older adults who want to shrink their data trail.

Colorado (CPA):

• Strong consumer rights, including access, deletion, correction, and opt-out of targeted advertising.
• Rules apply broadly to data collected from adults.

Texas (TDPSA):

• Went into effect in July 2024.
• Establishes access and opt-out rights.
• Texas has also been aggressive on enforcement against data abuses.

Other states, including Virginia, Utah, Oregon, and Connecticut, have passed similar laws, creating a growing privacy “patchwork.”

Why it Matters After Retirement

Even if you retire, your data doesn’t retire with you. You still:

• Use pharmacies and patient portals.
• Manage financial accounts and investments online.
• Engage with Medicare and insurance platforms.
• May use home monitoring devices for safety.

These interactions can build a powerful profile that is useful to marketers, data brokers, and scammers. Using your rights to delete or limit sharing is an essential defense.

Canada: Strong Foundations with Gaps

Canada’s federal privacy law, PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act), applies to most private-sector activity. It requires organizations to follow fair information principles and allows you to:

• Access and correct your data.
• Withdraw consent in many circumstances.
• File complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

A modernization bill, C-27 (CPPA and AIDA), stalled in early 2025. But Quebec’s Law 25 has added strong provincial privacy rules, including:

• Mandatory privacy impact assessments.
• Clearer consent requirements.
• Fines for noncompliance.

For retirees or anyone planning for future care, PIPEDA offers more baseline protection than most U.S. states—but coverage can still vary by province.

Quick Privacy Guide: Other Western Nations

Surveillance and Long-Term Care: The Hidden Layer

Many home care agencies and assisted living communities use monitoring tools such as cameras, wearables, and smart sensors to ensure safety. These can help detect falls or health changes early, but they can also undermine privacy and dignity if poorly managed.

Questions to ask before accepting monitoring:

• Who controls the data?
• How long is it stored?
• Is it shared with insurers or third parties?
• Can you say no without losing services?

Tip: Use the LTC News Caregiver Directory to search for caregivers and long-term care facilities when looking for a loved one. Be sure to ask about these privacy issues. You can use this information to evaluate options and plan for extended care settings that respect privacy and health needs.

Taking Back Control in a Pervasive Surveillance World

Reclaiming privacy isn’t about disappearing. It’s about setting digital boundaries that protect your autonomy, especially as you age.

Steps to protect yourself:

• Submit data deletion requests through your state or country’s privacy tools.
• Audit and clean up old accounts annually.
• Limit app permissions and location sharing.
• Use encrypted communications when possible.
• Discuss monitoring boundaries with family before health changes force the issue.

We live in a new digital world. Surveillance is everywhere, but control isn’t out of your reach. Setting digital boundaries is an act of self-respect for you and your family.

Your Future Deserves Digital Dignity

Surveillance doesn’t stop when you retire. In many ways, it increases. You use more health systems, more financial services, and often rely on others to help you stay safe. That doesn’t mean giving up your right to privacy. It means claiming it—loudly and clearly.