6 Ways Your Phone Is Tracking You

Have you ever casually mentioned a product or service while your phone was nearby and then noticed ads for it pop up in your social media feed? Your phone is listening. If that makes you uneasy, consider this: your devices are tracking you as well. From your phone to the apps you use, there are numerous ways your device can monitor your location.

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent your phone from spying on you. In this article, we'll discuss the dangers of this tracking, the six primary methods your phone uses to track you, and how you can stop it.

Why Is It Dangerous?

The data collected by your phone is highly valuable to internet marketers, who use it to target you with ads based on your interests and location. This form of digital surveillance is legal as long as you have the option to opt in or out. However, it's not just marketers who are interested in your data; cybercriminals are as well. Here are some reasons why allowing your phone to track you is problematic:

• 1. Privacy Invasion: Phone tracking enables apps, websites, and third parties to gather extensive information about your location, habits, and behaviors without your full awareness. This constant monitoring can lead to significant privacy invasions, making you vulnerable to targeted advertising, data harvesting, or even malicious tracking for harmful purposes.
• 2. Identity Theft and Fraud: If your phone's tracking data is accessed by hackers or cybercriminals, it can be used to extract personal information and patterns. This data can facilitate identity theft, financial fraud, or unauthorized access to sensitive accounts, causing both financial and emotional damage.
• 3. Physical Security Risks: Sharing your real-time location data can expose you to physical security threats. For instance, stalkers or criminals can use this information to track your movements, putting your safety at risk. Making your movements public can also allow bad actors to predict your routines or target you when you're most vulnerable.

How Your Phone Is Tracking You

1. Location Services: Your phone's GPS and location services track your real-time whereabouts, noting where you are and how long you stay there. Through "Frequent Locations," your phone can make assumptions about where you work and live based on your visits. While this feature can be useful for navigation, it can also expose your movement patterns and compromise your privacy.

Both Apple and Android provide options to disable this feature. The exact steps may vary depending on your device model and operating system, but here are general instructions:

How to turn it off:

- iPhone: Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. You can toggle off Location Services or manage permissions for individual apps. To view and disable Significant Locations, scroll down to System Services. You can also clear your history by selecting Clear History.

- Android: Go to Settings > Location > App Permissions, where you can either disable location tracking for specific apps or turn off Use Location altogether. To delete your location history, tap Delete Location History at the bottom of the screen under Location History.

2. App Permissions: Many apps request access to your contacts, photos, microphone, and camera, which allows them to track your activity even when you're not using the app and collect more information than necessary. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these permissions is essential to protect your privacy.

How to turn it off:

- iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security. Check categories like Camera, Microphone, and Contacts to review and adjust app permissions.

- Android: Navigate to Settings > Apps > Permissions to manage which apps have access to sensitive information like contacts, microphone, and camera.

3. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connections: Your phone continuously scans for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, enabling third parties to track your location based on the networks and devices you've connected with.

How to turn it off:

- iPhone: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to toggle off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. For more control, go to Settings > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth to disable scanning.

- Android: Navigate to Settings > Location > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth scanning and disable these options to prevent your phone from constantly searching for networks and devices.

4. Browsing Activity: Web browsers and apps keep track of your search history and the websites you visit. This information is used to create profiles of your preferences, leading to targeted ads and potentially selling your behavior patterns to third parties.

How to turn it off:

- iPhone & Android: Use your browser's private or incognito mode for safer browsing. In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and turn off Web & App Activity. Additionally, clear your browsing history and cookies regularly.

5. Ad Tracking: Your phone assigns you a unique advertising ID that companies use to monitor your behavior across apps and websites. This ID tracks your activity, providing advertisers with insights into your interests for personalized ads.

How to turn it off:

- iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and toggle off Allow Apps to Request to Track. You can also navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising to disable personalized ads. Note that this won't eliminate ads entirely; it just means they won't be personalized.

- Android: Go to Settings > Privacy > Ads and toggle on the option to opt out of Ads Personalization.

6. Social Media and Search Engines: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google monitor 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 intrusive.

How to turn it off:

- Social Media: Access each platform's settings (e.g., Facebook > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Shortcuts) to review the data being collected and manage your ad preferences.

- Google: Go to Google Account > Data & Privacy > Web & App Activity to control how Google tracks your search and activity history. You can also adjust Ad Settings to limit ad tracking.

By modifying these settings, you can significantly reduce the amount of personal information your phone collects, giving you greater control over your privacy.

Why This Matters For Business Owners:

For business owners, safeguarding personal privacy is as essential as protecting sensitive company information. The same tracking methods that monitor your actions 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 are not only protecting yourself but also safeguarding your business from potential data breaches, identity theft, and targeted cyber-attacks. In today's landscape, cybersecurity is not just a technical issue; it's a strategic one. Staying informed and proactive is key to staying ahead of threats.

If you're concerned about your business's overall security, don't wait for a problem to occur. Schedule a FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call with our team today, and let's ensure your entire network is protected from top to bottom. Our experts will identify vulnerabilities and recommend tailored solutions to keep your business safe. Click here or call us at 214-845-8198 to get started.