Have you ever felt that your digital footprint is being traced? Like the time when your social media was spammed by brand ads soon after you spoke about them with a friend over a chat or call? While you might shrug those incidents off as coincidence, they aren’t.
Here’s decoding what’s happening, and how you can guard your privacy online.
User behavior is said to be monitored through data collection from website usage. This is done to understand the user’s choices and preferences. Under the garb of “customizing” a user’s experience, their digital footprint is tracked. A device’s microphone is another tool that’s potentially being used to record and collect personal information, leading to a breach of privacy. “Some apps can take permissions for location and then run in the background to collect your location data and share it with a third-party. This can happen real-time, or in a scheduled time as well.”
Most apps have an in-built requirement to access the user location. Phones have gotten incredibly smart at figuring out where we are. “Beyond GPS, phones are constantly canning for WIFI and Bluetooth signals, which can pinpoint our location.” For someone with the wrong intentions, it’s easier to introduce spyware and malware into your device. Experts suggest being cautious about app permissions when you install a new app, and also say that it’s better to do a system health-check and delete unused apps regularly.
THERE ARE CHANCES THAT YOU BEING TRACKED ONLINE IF:
- There’s excess battery usage.
- The phone is heating up when not in use.
- The microphone suddenly activates.
- You’re getting unknown notifications.
- You receive spam requests.
- There’s unexpected app usage on its own.
- The phone has restart issues.
WHY IS IT CONCERNING?:
- Overall breach of privacy.
- Private messages, passwords, and data can get leaked.
- Data patterns can be observed by hackers.
- Location can be tracked.
- A user’s pseudo profile can be created.
- Lack of control over your data and device.
- Targeted ads by advertisers.
- Malware can be introduced to a device.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT BEING TRACKED?:
- Make sure you don’t open any suspicious links.
- Don’t install random APKs you find online to get cracked premium apps.
- Avoid using public USB ports to charge your mobile, as well as public Wi-Fi.
- Do not trust anyone with OTPS, passwords, and unusual requests.
- Uninstall unimportant apps.
- Check privacy settings of all browsers, and try using a private browser.
- Install a privacy protection app.
- Switch off location and microphone on devices.
- Check app permissions.
- Limit ad tracking in settings.
- Prevent cross-site tracking in settings.
QUICK TIPS:
- Open your browser settings and tap on ‘site settings.’
- Tap on location, camera, and microphone to check their settings.
- Take necessary action to stop and block any suspicious activity.
- Check the settings for controlling pop-ups and other additional requests.
