5 Ways Your Smartphone Can Be Used To Spy On You

Most people would be alarmed to know that a device they use and often carry everywhere with them could be used to spy on them. Unfortunately, technology companies, third-party advertisers, and hackers can spy on you when you use your smartphone.

According to Google, most online users access the internet from their mobile devices. Unfortunately, your mobile search history is not a secret. Your smartphone collects keywords from your online searches and sells that information to third-parties to create targeted ads based on your search history. For example, if you do a Google search for furniture you will likely see advertising related to furniture items. Therefore you should be mindful (about your lack of online privacy) when you browse the internet from your smartphone.

In addition to data mining your mobile internet search history to create targeted ads for you, your smartphone will also select keywords from your conversations (voice and text) to use for advertising. For instance when you discuss a topic with someone else, you will likely see targeted ads related to that topic on your smartphone. You should never discuss highly personal information with others via your smartphone. If you do need to discuss a sensitive topic, use a landline telephone instead.

 

 

 

 

 

Use Telegram! Download and install Telegram across your tech devices for end-to-end encryption. It’s completely free and you can use Telegram to send messages, files and to make voice calls. You can sync your chats across all your devices and even send self-destruct messages. If you want privacy and security Telegram is a necessity.

Using an email app on your smartphone is another way that third-party advertisers can spy on you. It doesn’t matter if you use a Google (Gmail) account, Microsoft (Outlook) account, or Yahoo mail, all free email platforms scan your emails for keywords. Those keywords are then used to create targeted ads for your phone.

Retailers can use their shopping apps to spy on customers when they are shopping in their stores. One example is if you download a retailer’s app and then visit one of their stores, the retailer can use your smartphone’s location data to see exactly where you are in their store. Then the retailer can deliver real-time ads to your phone, based on the products that are nearby. If that makes you uncomfortable, you can disable the retailer app’s ability to access your phone’s location data.

Finally, hackers and data thieves can steal personal information from your mobile device by infecting it with viruses and spyware. Your smartphone could pick up a virus by browsing a dangerous website or from installing an app that infects your phone. Therefore your smartphone must have security software installed to protect it from getting infected. If you are unsure whether your phone has security software, contact your cellular provider for help.

Unfortunately, using a smartphone is not as secure as what most people think, however there are some ways you can safeguard your data which will cut the risk of others stealing your personal information. Never discuss highly sensitive topics (that you wouldn’t want to share) with others via a mobile device phone calls, text messages, and emails can all put your personal information at risk. Remember that your mobile internet searches are not anonymous. Don’t forget to block apps from sharing your smartphone’s location data. Lastly, make sure you have security software installed on your smartphone, and that you scan an app for viruses before installing it.