The Unsettling Reality of Online Data Tracking and How It Affects Court Reporters

In the digital age, court reporters face unique privacy challenges. We conduct extensive research for our jobs, coming into contact with attorneys, witnesses, and other legal professionals. Many of us have noticed unsettling patterns where individuals connected to our work appear in our social media suggestions, raising concerns about how our personal information is being used.

Understanding How Our Data Is Tracked

Despite common beliefs, our phones are likely not listening to us. Instead, sophisticated algorithms analyze vast amounts of data to predict our interests and connections. As court reporters, we travel to different locations, interact with a variety of legal professionals, and conduct online research, all of which contribute to data tracking. Some ways this happens include:

Location Tracking Our phones detect where we are and who is nearby, potentially linking us with attorneys, witnesses, and others present in depositions or courtrooms.
Search and Browsing History Researching legal cases and specific individuals may trigger targeted suggestions and advertisements.
Social Media Connections Platforms analyze interactions and shared connections, leading to friend suggestions that may include people from depositions or trials.
Data Brokers and Third Parties Information from public records and data-sharing agreements can link us to cases and individuals we have encountered professionally.

The combination of these factors makes it possible for social media platforms to suggest attorneys, witnesses, or other individuals we have encountered, even if we have never directly interacted with them online.

Privacy Concerns for Court Reporters

Because we engage with sensitive information and legal proceedings, it is unsettling to see individuals from depositions or trials appearing in our social media feeds. This can raise ethical concerns and create uncomfortable situations where legal professionals or witnesses attempt to connect with us outside of work.

Steps to Protect Your Privacy

Although we cannot completely eliminate data tracking, we can take steps to reduce its impact on our personal lives.

Limiting Location Tracking

Since our movements can be tracked, it is important to control location settings.

Disable location access for unnecessary apps.
Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use.
Use a virtual private network (VPN) to mask your location.

Managing App Permissions

Many apps request access to microphones, contacts, and other data they do not need.

Regularly review and adjust app permissions.
Remove apps that request excessive access.
Choose privacy-focused apps whenever possible.

Clearing Search and Browsing History

Since our research plays a role in data tracking, we should manage our digital footprint.

Regularly delete cookies and browsing history.
Use incognito mode for case research.
Consider privacy-focused search engines.

Opting Out of Data Collection

Many social media platforms and data brokers offer opt-out options for data tracking.

Adjust Facebook, Google, and other platform privacy settings.
Disable ad personalization.
Request removal from major data brokers when possible.

Being Cautious With Smart Devices

Although voice-activated devices claim they only record after a wake word, caution is advised.

Mute or disable smart assistants when not in use.
Turn off unnecessary microphone access.
Use hardware-based privacy controls where available.

Limiting Social Media Exposure

To prevent unwanted connections, we should be mindful of what we share online.

Adjust privacy settings to limit data sharing.
Avoid posting location details or work-related content.
Be selective about friend requests and connections.

Why Awareness Is Important for Court Reporters

As professionals who interact with a wide range of people in legal settings, court reporters must be especially vigilant about online privacy. Understanding how data is collected and used can help us make informed choices about how we engage with digital platforms.

While we cannot completely prevent data tracking, taking proactive steps can help safeguard our personal information and maintain professional boundaries in an increasingly interconnected world.

Published by stenoimperium

We exist to facilitate the fortifying of the Stenography profession and ensure its survival for the next hundred years! As court reporters, we've handed the relationship role with our customers, or attorneys, over to the agencies and their sales reps. This has done a lot of damage to our industry. It has taken away our ability to have those relationships, the ability to be humanized and valued. We've become a replaceable commodity. Merely saying we are the “Gold Standard” tells them that we’re the best, but there are alternatives. Who we are though, is much, much more powerful than that! We are the Responsible Charge. “Responsible Charge” means responsibility for the direction, control, supervision, and possession of stenographic & transcription work, as the case may be, to assure that the work product has been critically examined and evaluated for compliance with appropriate professional standards by a licensee in the profession, and by sealing and signing the documents, the professional stenographer accepts responsibility for the stenographic or transcription work, respectively, represented by the documents and that applicable stenographic and professional standards have been met. This designation exists in other professions, such as engineering, land surveying, public water works, landscape architects, land surveyors, fire preventionists, geologists, architects, and more. In the case of professional engineers, the engineering association adopted a Responsible Charge position statement that says, “A professional engineer is only considered to be in responsible charge of an engineering work if the professional engineer makes independent professional decisions regarding the engineering work without requiring instruction or approval from another authority and maintains control over those decisions by the professional engineer’s physical presence at the location where the engineering work is performed or by electronic communication with the individual executing the engineering work.” If we were to adopt a Responsible Charge position statement for our industry, we could start with a draft that looks something like this: "A professional court reporter, or stenographer, is only considered to be in responsible charge of court reporting work if the professional court reporter makes independent professional decisions regarding the court reporting work without requiring instruction or approval from another authority and maintains control over those decisions by the professional court reporter’s physical presence at the location where the court reporting work is performed or by electronic communication with the individual executing the court reporting work.” Shared purpose The cornerstone of a strategic narrative is a shared purpose. This shared purpose is the outcome that you and your customer are working toward together. It’s more than a value proposition of what you deliver to them. Or a mission of what you do for the world. It’s the journey that you are on with them. By having a shared purpose, the relationship shifts from consumer to co-creator. In court reporting, our mission is “to bring justice to every litigant in the U.S.” That purpose is shared by all involved in the litigation process – judges, attorneys, everyone. Who we are is the Responsible Charge. How we do that is by Protecting the Record. View more posts