Probably more entities than most people realize — and not all of them have your best interests in mind.

Over time we have normalized a digital environment where nearly every click, scroll, and pause is quietly monitored and monetized.

Today, many online platforms track things such as:

• What you search
• What you click
• How long you pause on a page
• Who you follow
• Patterns in your interests and behavior

This information is often aggregated, packaged, and sold as part of a data-driven advertising ecosystem that shapes what you see online.

As someone who has spent more than four decades working in computing and internet systems, I have watched this gradual erosion of digital privacy and personal control.

That concern is one of the reasons I began developing technology projects aimed at improving safety and transparency online.

Through the Safe Social Networking Society, I created initiatives such as FamilyNet, a platform designed to support safer communication for families and communities without advertising, behavioral tracking, or algorithmic manipulation.

More recently, I developed VerifiedLink, a browser extension that helps users detect deceptive hyperlinks — situations where the visible link text suggests one destination while the link actually leads somewhere else.

Both projects are based on a simple idea: technology should support trustworthy communication rather than exploit user behavior.

Improving the integrity of online interaction will not happen overnight, but small practical tools can help move the internet in a better direction.