BONUS: The Digital Trail to Epstein’s Island
PRETEND
07/09/25
•13m
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What if your phone could place you at the scene of a crime—years later?
In this bonus episode of PRETEND, we uncover how nearly 200 mobile devices that visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island left behind invisible data trails. Using just a free trial from a location data broker, an outsider was able to map those devices back to homes, offices, and even gated communities across the U.S.
This episode dives into how mobile advertising IDs—those “anonymous” trackers buried inside your apps—are being used to surveil people without their knowledge. It’s not just Epstein’s guests. Similar tactics were used to target abortion clinic visitors in Wisconsin... and the law hasn’t kept up.
Sources and Further Reading:
WIRED: Location Data From Phones Used to Track Epstein Island Visitors
https://www.wired.com/video/watch/we-tracked-every-visitor-to-epstein-island
Motherboard (VICE): A Data Broker Was Selling Location Data on People Who Visited Abortion Clinics
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/02/meet-abortion-bans-new-best-friend-your-phone/
EPIC.org: Data Broker Helped Anti-Abortion Group Target Planned Parenthood Visitors
https://epic.org/data-broker-helped-anti-abortion-group-target-planned-parenthood-visitors-wyden-letter-reveals/
U.S. Congress: American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Data_Privacy_and_Protection_Act
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Episode Credits:
Written and Produced by: Javier Leiva & Mackenzie Ames
Editor: Puneeth Shenoy
Theme Music: by Thechicken.net
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