NPR reporter Steve Henn (who has covered both economics and technology) conducted an experiment: he asked a couple computer experts to follow his internet traffic for a week and see how much they could learn. The answer? A whole lot. They ended up knowing so much about Henn and his movements that they could have reported his news stories before he did.
But, as the piece concludes, privacy consciousness is rising in wake of Ed Snowden's disclosures, and some of the big internet players responsible for disclosing very specific information about Henn are becoming interested in data security.
The 15-minute piece, an NPR Planet Money podcast, is worth a listen, here.