6 Ways Your Phone Is Tracking You

Have you ever mentioned a product or service in a casual conversation with your phone nearby, only to find ads for it popping up on your social media feed? Your phone might be listening. If that alarms you, there's more: your devices are also tracking you! From the phone itself to the apps you use, there are numerous ways your device can access your location.

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent your phone from spying on you. In today's article, we'll explore why this is so concerning, outline the top six ways your phone tracks you, and explain how you can stop it.

Why Is It Dangerous?

This data is highly valuable to internet marketers. They use it to target you with local and interest-based ads. This digital "stalking" is legal as long as you're given the option to opt in or out. However, marketers aren't the only ones interested in your data—cybercriminals are too. Here's why allowing your phone to track you is risky:

1. Privacy Invasion: Phone tracking enables apps, websites, and third parties to gather detailed information about your location, habits, and behaviors without your full awareness. This constant surveillance can lead to significant privacy breaches, exposing you to targeted advertising, data harvesting, or even malicious tracking for harmful purposes.

2. Identity Theft and Fraud: If your phone's tracking data falls into the wrong hands, such as hackers or cybercriminals, it can be used to collect personal details and patterns. This data can facilitate identity theft, financial fraud, or unauthorized access to sensitive accounts, causing both financial and emotional harm.

3. Physical Security Risks: Sharing your real-time location data can expose you to physical security threats. Stalkers or criminals can exploit this information to track your whereabouts, compromising your safety. Publicizing your movements can also make it easier for 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 whereabouts in real-time, recording where you go and how long you stay there. Using "Frequent Locations," your phone can infer where you work and live. While helpful for directions or finding nearby restaurants, constant tracking can reveal your movement patterns, compromising your privacy.

You can disable this feature on both Apple and Android devices. Instructions may vary, but here are the basics:

How to turn it off:

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Toggle off Location Services or manage individual app permissions. Scroll down to System Services, select Significant Locations, and toggle it off. You can also clear your history by clicking Clear History.
• Android: Go to Settings > Location > App Permissions, and either disable location tracking for specific apps or turn off Use Location entirely. To delete your device's 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, allowing them to track your activity even when you're not using the app. You should review and adjust these permissions regularly 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: Go to Settings > Apps > Permissions. Manage which apps have access to sensitive data like contacts, microphone, and camera.

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

How to turn it off:

• iPhone: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen and toggle off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. For full control, go to Settings > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth to disable scanning.
• Android: Go to Settings > Location > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth scanning. Disable these options to prevent your phone from constantly searching for networks and devices.

4. Browsing Activity: Web browsers and apps monitor your search history and the websites you visit. This data is used to build profiles about your preferences, resulting in 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. Regularly clear your browsing history and cookies.

5. Ad Tracking: Your phone assigns you a unique advertising ID used to track your behavior across apps and websites. This ID follows 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. Also, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising to disable personalized ads. You will still see ads, but they won't be personalized.
• Android: Go to Settings > Privacy > Ads, then toggle on opt out of Ads Personalization.

6. Social Media and Search Engines: 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.

How to turn it off:

• Social Media: Go to each platform's settings (e.g., Facebook > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Shortcuts) to review what data is being collected and manage ad preferences.
• Google: Go to Google Account > Data & Privacy > Web & App Activity to control how Google tracks your search and activity history. Adjust Ad Settings to limit ad tracking.

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

Why This Matters for Business Owners:

For business owners, protecting personal privacy is as crucial as securing company information. The same tracking methods that monitor your personal activities can 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 phone tracking and adjusting 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 is not just a technical issue; it's a strategic one, and staying ahead of threats starts with being informed and proactive.

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 813-602-0606 to get started.