Have you ever casually talked about a product or service while your phone was nearby and suddenly started seeing ads on your social media feed? Your phone is listening. If that concerns you, this should worry you: your devices are tracking you too! From the phone itself to the apps you download and access, there are multiple ways that your device can ping your location.
Luckily, there are ways to stop your phone from spying on you. In today’s article, we’ll share why it’s so dangerous, the top six ways your phone tracks you, and how you can shut it down.
This data is a hot commodity for Internet marketers. The collected data targets you with the local and interest-based ads you’re most likely to be interested in. This digital “stalking” is legal as long as it gives you the option to opt in or out. However, marketing execs aren’t the only ones interested in your data. Cybercriminals are too. Here are the reasons allowing your phone to track you is a no-go:
For an in-depth understanding of how phone tracking works and its implications, you can visit EFF’s Guide to Surveillance Self-Defense.
To learn more about Location Services and how it affects privacy, visit Apple’s Guide to Location Services or Google’s Location Services Documentation.
Your phone’s GPS and location services track your whereabouts in real-time, recording where you are and how long you stay there. Using “Frequent Locations,” your phone makes assumptions about where you work and live based on when you visit and how long you stay. While this is helpful for finding directions or nearby restaurants, constant tracking can also reveal your movement patterns, leaving you vulnerable to privacy invasion.
For more details on managing app permissions, check out Apple’s App Permissions Overview or Google’s Permissions Settings Guide.
Many apps request access to your contacts, photos, microphone, and camera, allowing them to track your activity, even when you’re not actively using the app, and collect more information than necessary. You can adjust this and should review it regularly to make sure you aren’t compromising your privacy.
Your phone constantly scans for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, allowing third parties to track your location based on the networks and devices you’ve interacted with.
To understand more about safe browsing and privacy, visit Google’s Safe Browsing Help.
Web browsers and apps monitor your search history and the websites you visit. This data is used to build profiles about your preferences, feeding you targeted ads and potentially selling your behavior patterns to third parties.
For an overview of ad tracking and how to limit it, refer to Apple’s Advertising & Privacy Page or Google’s Ads Settings Help.
Your phone assigns you a unique advertising ID that companies use to track your behavior across apps and websites. This ID follows your activity, providing advertisers with insight into your interests to serve personalized ads.
You can learn more about data tracking on social media by visiting Facebook’s Privacy Basics or Google’s Data & Privacy Resource.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google track your online interactions, searches, and location to create detailed profiles of your habits and interests. They use this data for advertising and content recommendations, which can feel invasive.
By adjusting these settings, you can significantly reduce the amount of personal information your phone tracks, giving you more control over your privacy.
Why This Matters For Business Owners
For a business owner, protecting your personal privacy is just as crucial as securing your company’s sensitive information. The same tracking methods that follow your every move can also expose your business to risks. Hackers, cybercriminals, and even competitors can exploit these vulnerabilities to gather valuable data about your business activities, customer interactions, and confidential communications.
By taking steps to limit how your phone tracks you and adjusting your privacy settings, you’re not just protecting yourself—you’re also safeguarding your business from potential data breaches, identity theft, and targeted cyber-attacks. In today’s world, cybersecurity isn’t just a technical issue, it’s a strategic one, and staying ahead of threats starts with being informed and proactive.