This Professional Report is a reflection on the author’s early career, leading to a discussion on the process involved in producing TransitCenter’s 2021 publication Do Not Track: A Guide to Data Privacy for New Fare Payment Media. Readers are encouraged to begin by reading the Do Not Track report, included here as Appendix I. Data privacy in the fare payment process is an emerging issue for transit agencies, many of which are adopting open-loop payment systems—credit cards, digital wallets—in lieu of proprietary, closed-loop payment media such as fare cards. The Do Not Track report argues that, as public service providers, transit agencies must a) limit the collection of passengers’ personal data whenever possible, and b) manage the data they do collect responsibly and in a manner that respects passengers’ privacy.