Does your phone listen to everything you say? It is complicated

Linda recently contacted my national radio program by asking the immersion of my inbox. It is clear that many of you have suffered from a strange moment.

“I was shopping yesterday in Wall Mart, and I looked at the kitchen knives. I called my friend and told her where I was in the store.

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I hear you: “Kim, her phone was listening!” The answer is not so simple, but I can explain what is really going on.

Your digital path

Even if Linda did not search online for knives, her smartphone was busy collecting data. Your phone traces your site, not only through GPS but also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals.

If you are connected to the store’s Wi-Fi network or walked with Bluetooth, Wal-Mart and other retailers can follow your movements. They know where to stand in the store. They also know that you did not buy knives.

Retaires sell this data to advertising networks that then work with data brokers to get your email address. Bengo. Linda got an email from the knife company. I bet they start seeing ads for knives and relevant online elements as well.

But wait, there is more

You track Facebook, Instagram, Google and Weather applications, even when running in the background. If you have given them access to the site, they know where you are and then use this data to serve you ads.

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Throwing Amnesty International in the mixture

The possibilities are that Linda will now get e -mail stadiums and watch ads on social media for new table tools, Charcuterie panels and cooking lessons. This is the way the ads that AI moved. It takes one interest (kitchen knives) and expands them into relevant categories.

How to protect your privacy

There is a lot that you cannot control in this entire tracking chaos. This makes it more important to do what you can.

Wiped your digital bread crumbs

Do not remain registered with Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc., while shopping. The easiest way is to open a new hidden window or a special window separate from the accounts it signed.

Here is how to start your browser in a default hideout mode:

• For Chrome on a computer, pull the code from the Start menu to the desktop to create a shortcut. Then right -click and select Show more options > Ownership. There, you will see the URL chain under “target”. Add -Incognito till the end.
• On Safari for Mac, click Settings > general > SAFAri opens with a special window.
• For Android phones, click on the browser icon and hold on it, then select Open in the special tab.
• On iPhone, press and hold your browser icon and choose A new special tab (For safari) or Hidden search (For chrome).

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I regularly recommend you to wipe the cookies on your phone as well. If you never do that, These steps.

Site tracking management

• Get off the site tracking for retail applications in your phone settings.
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi disable when they are not used.
• Avoid the year Wi-Fi, as retailers use it to record your visit.

Set your advertising settings

• Visit Google Declaration settings To stop allocating the advertisement.
• Update advertising preferences on Facebook, Instagram, Amazon and the rest.

Application permissions review

• Get off access to the microphone for applications like Facebook and Google.
• Reducing the background application tracking in your phone settings.

It is a creeping feeling when this type of things happens. Remember that this combination of retailers, advertisers and data mediators try to make you spend.

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