Your passive telemetry — invisible layer

experiment 11 · all sensors

this is what
gets collected.

You haven't installed anything. You haven't agreed to any terms. But right now, every app on your phone with background access is packaging and uploading a profile of your life — where you are, how you move, what network you're on, when your battery is low. This is what that looks like, live.

the average smartphone sends data to 1,400 different servers per day. Most of it happens in the background while you sleep. Apps legally collect your precise location, motion patterns, battery level, network identity, and device fingerprint — then sell it to data brokers. A data broker profile knows where you work, where you sleep, where you pray, and whether you're pregnant before your family does.

0 readings
captured

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identity & device

browser —

screen —

timezone —

language —

device memory —

location & movement

location tap to reveal

GPS accuracy —

motion state —

acceleration —

network & connectivity

connection —

latency —

online status —

power & environment

battery —

charging —

ambient light —

what data brokers can infer

home location where your phone rests overnight

work location where your phone sits 9am–5pm weekdays

income bracket —

health signals motion patterns reveal sleep, exercise, medical visits

▶ how do they get this without asking?

Most apps request broad permissions upfront — location "while using the app" often means always. Motion sensors require no permission at all on Android. Network type is available instantly. Battery level and device memory are readable by any web page without any prompt.

Data brokers like Acxiom, Oracle Data Cloud, and LiveRamp buy this data from thousands of apps simultaneously, correlate it across devices, and build profiles with hundreds of attributes per person — including religion, political views, sexual orientation, and health conditions. These profiles are then sold to advertisers, employers, insurers, and governments.

The income inference comes from device model (available via UA string) × neighborhood (GPS) × purchasing patterns (payment apps). The health signal comes from GPS visits to clinics, pharmacies, and gyms. None of this requires you to fill out a form.