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 related ads popping up on your social media feed shortly after? It might feel like your phone is eavesdropping. If that makes you uneasy, consider this: your devices are also tracking your movements! From the phone itself to the apps you download, there are numerous ways your location can be monitored.

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

Why Is This Dangerous?

Data collected from your phone is highly valuable to Internet marketers who use it to target you with local and interest-based ads. This digital "stalking" is legal as long as they provide options to opt in or out. However, marketers aren't the only ones interested in your data; cybercriminals are too. Here are the reasons why allowing your phone to track you is problematic:

• Privacy Invasion: Phone tracking allows apps, websites, and third parties to gather extensive information about your location, habits, and behaviors without your full awareness. This constant surveillance can significantly invade your privacy, making you vulnerable to targeted advertising, data harvesting, or even malicious tracking for harmful purposes.
• 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 gather personal details and patterns. This data can enable identity theft, financial fraud, or unauthorized access to sensitive accounts, causing both financial and emotional harm.
• Physical Security Risks: Sharing your real-time location data can expose you to physical security threats. For instance, stalkers or criminals could 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 Tracks You

Location Services: Your phone's GPS and location services track your movements in real-time, recording where you are and how long you stay there. While this helps with directions or finding nearby restaurants, constant tracking can reveal your movement patterns, leaving you vulnerable to privacy invasion.

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services to toggle off or manage individual app permissions. Under System Services, select Significant Locations to view and disable logged records of your whereabouts. You can also clear your history by clicking Clear History.
• Android: Go to Settings > Location > App Permissions to disable location tracking for specific apps or turn off Use Location entirely. To delete your device's location history, tap Delete Location History under Location History.

App Permissions: Many apps request access to your contacts, photos, microphone, and camera, allowing them to track your activity even when not in use, collecting more information than necessary. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these permissions can help protect your privacy.

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security to check categories like Camera, Microphone, and Contacts, and adjust app permissions.
• Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Permissions to manage which apps have access to sensitive data like contacts, microphone, and camera.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connections: 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.

• iPhone: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to 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 to disable these options.

Browsing Activity: Web browsers and apps monitor your search history and the websites you visit, using this data to build profiles about your preferences and potentially selling your behavior patterns to third parties.

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

Ad Tracking: Your phone assigns a unique advertising ID used to track your behavior across apps and websites, providing advertisers with insights into your interests for personalized ads.

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking to toggle off Allow Apps to Request to Track. Also, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising to disable personalized ads.
• Android: Go to Settings > Privacy > Ads and toggle on Opt out of Ads Personalization.

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.

• Social Media: Access each platform's settings (e.g., Facebook > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Shortcuts) to review data collection 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 more 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 movements can expose your business to risks. Hackers, cybercriminals, and competitors could 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 isn't 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 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 (951) 742-8020 to get started.