Angwin defines a "dragnet" as a system that sweeps up information about everyone regardless of suspicion. Falling costs for data storage and massive increases in processing power have made it cheap for institutions to keep records on nearly every moment of our lives.
A major part of the book follows Angwin’s year-long attempt to escape these dragnets. She tests various defensive strategies, including: Dragnet Nation: A Quest for Privacy, Security, ...
The book details how a "hidden alliance" of tech companies and government agencies—from the National Security Agency (NSA) to private data brokers—constantly tracks our locations, web browsing, and financial transactions. Angwin defines a "dragnet" as a system that