Dangerous Apps – In the Data Brokers' Network

May 5, 2026

class="img-responsive

Rebecca Ciesielski – Investigative Journalism at the Intersection of AI and Reality

Rebecca Ciesielski is a reporter at the AI + Automation Lab at Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR Data) and is one of the most compelling voices in the fields of data-driven journalism and algorithmic accountability. Among other honors, Rebecca has received the Grimme Online Award, the European Press Prize, and the Informatik Journalism Prize.

She combines deep technical expertise with journalistic precision and works precisely where technology has real-world implications: at the intersection of artificial intelligence, data analysis, and social responsibility. In this podcast, we discuss her latest report, “Dangerous Apps – In the Web of Data Brokers,” available on the ARD Media Library.

Dangerous Apps – In the Data Brokers' Network

What happens when our data becomes a weapon?

We're talking about it

  • how apps and location data can become a real danger—from everyday surveillance to geopolitical risks,
  • what lies behind the ARD documentary “Dangerous Apps” and how such investigations come about,
  • how algorithms monitor people—for example, through emotion recognition in the workplace,
  • Why biometric data can be life-threatening in crisis zones,
    How intelligence agency employees can be spied on through app data—and what that means for all of us.

Selected links from the episode

ARD Media Library – “Dangerous Apps”
BR AI + Automation Lab

People

Rebecca Ciesielski

https://www.br.de/nachrichten/autoren/rebecca-ciesielski,5d7dd89a-f4c8-4977-81e7-ee4f4bfef1d1

More articles and features by Rebecca Ciesielski

From school bus routes to war zones: location data for sale

https://www.br.de/nachrichten/deutschland-welt/ob-schulbusroute-oder-kriegsgebiete-standortdaten-zum-verkauf,VEsvPl0

Pro-Russian hackers claim responsibility for attacks on government agencies

https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/prorussische-hacker-bekennen-sich-zu-angriffen-auf-behoerden,UdS7Smd

How To:

Turn off location data on your phone:

https://awiebe.org/mein-telefon-vor-unerwunschter-standortverfolgung-schutzen/

Discover more podcasts