Are you aware of the new email compliance mandate from Google & Yahoo? | Call ResTech Email ResTech |

Blog

6 Ways Your Phone Is Tracking You

Have you ever casually talked about a product or service while your phone was nearby and then suddenly started seeing ads for it on your social media feed? Your phone is listening. If that concerns you, this should really 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 around allowing your phone to spy on you. In today’s article, we’ll share why it’s so dangerous, the top six ways your phone is tracking you, and how you can shut it down.

Why Is It Dangerous?

This data is a hot commodity for Internet marketers. The collected data is used to target you with the local and interest-based ads you’re most likely to be interested in. This digital “stalking” is legal as long as they give 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:

  1. Privacy Invasion: Phone tracking allows apps, websites, and third parties to collect extensive information about your location, habits, and behaviors without your full knowledge. This constant surveillance can lead to a significant invasion of privacy, making users vulnerable to targeted advertising, data harvesting, or even malicious tracking for more 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 gather personal details and patterns. This data can enable identity theft, financial fraud, or unauthorized access to sensitive accounts, causing financial and emotional harm.
  3. Physical Security Risks: By sharing your real-time location data, phone tracking can expose you to physical security threats. For example, 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 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.

    Both Apple and Android give you the option to turn this feature off. Exact instructions will vary by specific model and operating system; however, here are basic instructions:

    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 to see the logged record of where you’ve been 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 To delete your device’s location history, tap Delete Location History at the bottom of the screen under Location History.
  1. App Permissions: 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.

    How to turn it off:

    • iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security. From there, check categories like Camera, Microphone, and Contacts to review and adjust app permissions.
    • Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Permissions. Here you can manage which apps have access to sensitive data like contacts, microphones, and cameras.
  1. 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.

    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 Disable these options to prevent your phone from constantly searching for networks and devices.
  1. 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, feeding you 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.
  1. Ad Tracking: 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.
    How to turn it off:
    • iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and toggle off Allow Apps to Request to Track. You can also go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising to disable personalized ads. *This does not mean you won’t still see ads; you just won’t see personalized ads./

    • Android: Go to Settings > Privacy > Ads, then toggle on opt out of Ads Personalization.
  1. 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. You can also 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 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.

If you’re concerned about your business’s overall security, don’t wait for a problem to occur. Schedule a FREE Security Risk Assessment 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 713-936-6855  to get started.

Tags:

Leave a Reply

Automatic Deployment of Managed Software

We utilize several software tools to provide our services to you. In order for services to be provided these tools must get installed on your systems. To help facilitate this we have created daily tasks to check for and deploy, if missing, these software tools to your systems.

When a new system is added we can also have our tools deployed at the time of onboarding.

Reboot/Update Reminders

Keeping your system running at optimal performance is key to your productivity. Periodically systems will need to be rebooted for various reasons. To help facilitate timely reboots we will push a pop-up message to your system reminding you to reboot.

Reboots may be required to complete updates or to keep the system running at its best if it has been operating for an extended period without a reboot.

Third Party Software Updates

In addition to your Windows & Microsoft updates, we also manage your third-party software. There are hundreds of software applications that we can manage on your behalf and we can both install and update these applications. Updating your third-party software is just as important as your Windows & Microsoft software. With our automated system, we also can have critical patches pushed out ASAP so your device is not left vulnerable while waiting for the update.

With our Secure IT Foundation & Advanced Security plans, we can provide granular control as to how updates are handled at the business level, site/location/department level, and at the individual device level. Our Essentials plan only allows for management at the business level.

Windows & Microsoft Updates

We manage all Windows & Microsoft updates to ensure your device stays up-to-date. We check for and run updates weekly to ensure you have the latest security updates and features. With our automated system, we also can have critical patches pushed out ASAP so your device is not left vulnerable while waiting for the update.

With our Secure IT Foundation & Advanced Security plans, we can provide granular control as to how updates are handled at the business level, site/location/department level, and at the individual device level. Our Essentials plan only allows for management at the business level.

Service Portal Access

All of our service plans come with access to our service portal. With our service portal you will have access to:

  1. Ticketing – Submit, edit, and view your tickets and other tickets for your account (based on your access level).
  2. Correspond with our support team through the portal or via the ticket email notifications.
  3. Our knowlegebase and IT documentation modules to get information on a process, asset, or anything we’ve added for you in our service portal.
  4. View assets associated with your account.
  5. Invoices – View your invoices and recent invoice history (no separate portal to access).

Microsoft 365 Management

Microsoft 365 for Business is a subscription-based service that combines productivity and collaboration tools tailored for small to medium-sized businesses. The key components are:

  1. Applications: It includes familiar applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, available both online and offline.

  2. Cloud Services: The subscription offers cloud storage through OneDrive, enabling secure file storage, sharing, and collaboration from anywhere.

  3. Collaboration Tools: Microsoft Teams is included for communication and collaboration, allowing chat, video conferencing, and file sharing in one platform.

  4. Security Features: Enhanced security features like advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, and mobile device management help protect sensitive business data.

  5. Updates and Support: Users receive regular updates and support, ensuring they always have access to the latest features and security enhancements.

  6. Plans: Microsoft 365 for Business comes in various plans (like Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium), allowing businesses to choose the best fit for their needs.

With all the options available managing the platform can be a daunting task. We include the management of Microsoft 365 in our support to ensure you get the most out of the service, your account is kept secure, and you get the features you need. We are able to provide you the licensing as well so you have one less vendor to manage and pay.