Ever mentioned a product in passing and then noticed ads for it popping up on your social media feed? If that’s concerning, the fact that your phone is likely tracking your every move should be even more alarming. From location tracking to monitoring your online activity, your phone gathers data through multiple channels.

Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself. Today, we’ll cover the top six ways your phone tracks you, why this tracking is risky, and how to disable it.

Why Is Phone Tracking Dangerous?

Tracking data is valuable to marketers who use it to show you local and interest-based ads. While this may seem harmless, your data can also attract cybercriminals. Here’s why phone tracking should be taken seriously:

1. Privacy Invasion: Apps and websites collect data on your habits and whereabouts, often without your full understanding. This can lead to targeted advertising, data harvesting, or even tracking by malicious actors.
2. Identity Theft and Fraud: If hackers access your location data, they can use it to build a profile for identity theft, fraud, or unauthorized account access.
3. Physical Security Risks: Real-time location data can expose you to physical risks. Criminals could exploit this information to track your movements, predict routines, or locate you at vulnerable moments.

6 Ways Your Phone Tracks You and How to Turn It Off

1. Location Services

Your phone’s GPS logs your whereabouts in real time, analyzing your frequent locations to predict where you live, work, and visit often. While useful for navigation, constant tracking makes you vulnerable to privacy invasion.

How to turn it off:

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Toggle off or manage app-specific permissions. In System Services, select Significant Locations to view and clear location history.
• Android: Go to Settings > Location > App Permissions. Disable location tracking for specific apps or turn off Use Location entirely. To delete your location history, select Delete Location History.

2. App Permissions

Many apps request access to contacts, camera, microphone, and photos, which allows them to track you even when you aren’t actively using the app.

How to turn it off:

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security and review permissions under Camera, Microphone, and Contacts.
• Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Permissions to control which apps have access to sensitive data.

3. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connections

Your phone’s continuous scanning for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networks can allow third parties to track your location based on nearby networks and devices.

How to turn it off:

• iPhone: Swipe down from the top-right corner to toggle off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, or go to Settings for full control.
• Android: Go to Settings > Location > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Scanning and disable these options.

4. Browsing Activity

Your browsing history and search data are collected by websites and apps to build a profile of your interests for targeted advertising.

How to turn it off:

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

5. Ad Tracking

Your phone assigns a unique advertising ID to track your activity across apps and websites, giving advertisers insight into your interests.

How to turn it off:

• iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking to disable Allow Apps to Request to Track. Also, under Apple Advertising, disable personalized ads.
• Android: Go to Settings > Privacy > Ads, then select Opt Out of Ads Personalization.

6. Social Media and Search Engines

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google use your search and interaction data to create detailed profiles, serving ads and content recommendations based on your behavior.

How to turn it off:

• Social Media: Go to each platform’s settings (e.g., Facebook > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Shortcuts) to review data collection and ad preferences.
• Google: Go to Google Account > Data & Privacy > Web & App Activity to adjust tracking settings.

Why Privacy Matters for Business Owners

For business owners, safeguarding personal privacy is as essential as securing company data. The same tracking mechanisms on your phone can expose your business activities, customer interactions, and sensitive information to cyber risks. By adjusting your privacy settings, you protect both yourself and your business from data breaches, identity theft, and targeted cyber-attacks.

If you’re concerned about your business’s security, we offer a FREE Security Risk Assessment to help identify vulnerabilities and develop custom solutions to keep your operations safe. Call us at 214-550-0550 or click here to schedule your assessment.