Chapter 3. Privacy – Small Word, Big Consequences

Troy roused from somewhere in the depths of his sleep to silence the alarm on his smartphone. He tried to clear his mind to think. Was this the third or fourth city in 10 days? What city was this, anyway? A quick glance at his calendar app reminded him that he was in Copenhagen, Denmark.

He checked his messages. There were three: his wife had paid his speeding ticket, his flight was on time, and his assistant had scheduled him into a conference call in two hours. It was going to be another busy day.

Troy finished his conference call, called his wife, and headed to the airport. He had already checked in on his smartphone and only had carry-on luggage, so he figured he should be able to speed through the airport. A quick look at his checking account balance assured him his account was fine.

Troy's flight home was a long one, so he connected to the airport's Wi-Fi network and searched for an app to play on the plane. Advanced knitting techniques? No. Multiplication table practice? That would be good for his son. Space motorcycle racing? That would be fun! He downloaded both apps, clicking through the agreement screens quickly.

After landing, Troy rushed through the airport, paid his parking fee with a few quick taps on his smartphone, and headed for the exit. As he drove by a flower shop, he received a spoken text message announcing a 20 percent off sale on roses and a reminder that his mother's birthday was in two days. His mom loved roses, so he made a quick stop at the florist shop and finished his drive home.