How To Protect Yourself From Government Spying in 2025

Government surveillance isn’t new. Edward Snowden revealed what was happening way back in 2013. What is new is the blatantly open moves made to show Americans that they don’t actually have the privacy they thought they did. If the current state of security and privacy concerns you, you may wonder what you can do to regain some control.

By reducing your online footprint with the best data removal services, you can stop the open flow of information about you. Additionally, a few more security measures will heighten your privacy and personal security. If you’re unsure where to start, we'll outline it for you below.

Is the government spying on us?

Yes, the government is spying on us. The thing is, that’s not a new development. The government has always been spying on us, but it’s made its way into the news with the DOGE scandal more than ever before.

But this isn't a sudden shift. In fact, mass surveillance has a long history in the United States. One of the most notorious examples came in 2013, when whistleblower Edward Snowden exposed that the National Security Agency (NSA) had been secretly collecting massive amounts of phone metadata from U.S. citizens. This included information about who people called, when, and for how long, often without individual warrants. The NSA had also tapped into the servers of major tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple through a program known as PRISM. The scale of the surveillance shocked the world and sparked a fierce debate about privacy, oversight, and the balance between security and freedom.

Data security has been a concern for as long as personal data has existed. The difference now is the scope and depth of information being gathered. DOGE isn’t just watching public activity. It’s reportedly peering into our medical records, social security information, financial data, and much more, all linked to our digital footprints. Unlike past surveillance efforts, which relied on warrants or direct communication taps, today’s methods operate silently through data aggregation, third-party tracking, and advanced AI systems.

No matter the reason, personal data privacy is a right that shouldn’t be ignored.

How do you know if the government is watching you? 7 signs

You probably don’t. And that’s exactly how it’s designed to work.

Government surveillance today doesn’t usually involve agents in trench coats or ominous vans parked outside your house (though that can happen in extreme cases). Instead, it's quiet, cooperative, and seamless. Made possible through data-sharing agreements, secret court orders, and behind-the-scenes access to the digital services we use every day.

The government often works directly with major tech companies, telecom providers, and data brokers to obtain information. This includes social media platforms, email services, cloud storage, search engines, and even health and financial apps. Because this data is willingly collected and stored by companies, government agencies don’t need to “break in” — they just plug into the system, often with legal backing.

The result? You won’t see it coming. And you probably won’t feel it when it happens. But in rare cases, especially if you're being targeted more directly, you might notice something off:

1. Unexplained activity on your medical, social security, or financial accounts
2. Vans, food trucks, or other larger vehicles in your vicinity often
3. Strange camera activity on your phone, laptop, or other internet-connected device
4. Background app activity uses resources on your device
5. Unfamiliar files or apps suddenly appearing
6. Unfamiliar texts or emails in your storage
7. Higher-than-normal mobile data usage appears on your bill

Still, most surveillance doesn’t leave a trail. If the government is watching you, it’s probably happening through a network of quiet access points you’ve already agreed to when you clicked “Accept” on a privacy policy you didn’t read.

In short: if you’re under routine or passive surveillance, you’re unlikely to ever know.

How to protect your data against government spying

One of the easiest ways for the government to watch you is to remove your personally identifiable information collected by data brokers. These scavengers of the internet take aggregated information ranging from your name, address, and phone number to detailed maps of your house (we’ve seen them) and lists of your closest relatives.

To help keep your personal data off the internet (and off a broker’s site), use a data broker removal service.

If you’re seriously concerned about safeguarding your privacy, take additional steps to secure your data:

1. Use tracker blockers.
2. Be cautious about what you post on social media.
3. Avoid location tagging on social media apps.
4. Disable location tracking on your device.

You could also not bring your device with you everywhere you go.

Our security software recommendations

As a cybersecurity expert, I use a VPN, antivirus software, a data broker removal service, an ad blocker, a firewall, a password manager, an identity theft protection service, and a private browser.

Using a virtual private network provides end-to-end encryption for the activity on your device. A VPN works by scrambling the exact information you’re transmitting so it can’t be read by prying eyes. The best VPNs offer a multitude of security features while also keeping your business private. I literally never use the internet without a VPN enabled.

And while this may seem like overkill, I also remove metadata from my photos before sharing them. Metadata can be used to track your location, so it’s better to be proactive.

We suggest using privacy and security software that includes the following protection features:

• A data broker removal service to decrease your online footprint
• A VPN for internet traffic and web activity encryption
• An ad and tracker blocker to remove trackers from your online browsing
• Antivirus software with real-time protection against malware
• A privacy browser to reduce the number of trackers online that can find you

FAQs

Bottom line: Why is the government watching me?

If it were five years ago, I’d say the government wasn’t watching you, and you shouldn’t be concerned. Unfortunately, now there’s a chance you are being spied on. While this is all being done in the name of “efficiency,” the more likely scenario is that the government is looking to categorize us into groups.

Since we don’t know the exact reasons behind the surveillance, we can’t know 100% why the government is watching us. Instead, we can utilize the best data removal services to minimize our online footprint and complement this with other top-notch security tools, such as a VPN, antivirus software, identity theft protection, and tracker blockers, to maximize our privacy.