Its not paranoia; we ARE being watched. Today, thanks to technology and new media—cell phone GPS, backscatter scanners, online financial transactions, cloud-stored medical records, Facebook and Twitter—our every activity can be quietly monitored. And now that inexpensive gene sequencing seems imminent, even our bodies secrets may be up for grabs. This groundbreaking investigation shows how Americas privacy is under assault—and what we can do to protect ourselves.

Covering everything from the News of the World hacking scandal to identity and credit theft, Popular Mechanics Whos Spying On You? features stories of real people whose privacy has been violated. It looks at the technology powering those intrusions, reveals the advances in security that may eventually protect us, and thoroughly explores the social and legal ramifications of our increasingly complex and high-tech society. A final chapter offers direct, service-oriented tips to safeguard privacy, along with an exploration of how a new, post-private generation willingly surrenders personal information—and the potential pitfalls and benefits of broadcasting your life on your own terms.