In the latest chapter of America’s digital drama, the federal government and tech leviathans have seamlessly merged into a billion‑dollar spectacle, redefining privacy as a luxury and personal data as raw material for profit. A new wave of policies and partnerships has emerged, each more performative than the last: regulators screeched assurances that data collection is “secure,” officials oinked about public safety, and corporate spokespeople bellowed about innovation, while users quietly watched their lives being monetized, tracked, and dissected for targeted ads.