The exchange of information between devices and the monitoring of shopping habits are responsible for this phenomenon. Kaspersky explains this situation in detail.
When friends get together and discuss a certain topic, they often find that ads related to that private conversation soon pop up on social media. This oft-repeated situation has led to speculation that cell phones are listening in on conversations to personalize advertising. However, there is nothing sinister about this phenomenon. Kaspersky experts debunk this idea and offer advice on how to protect your privacy if you feel uncomfortable about the situation.
The impression many people have that their mobile phone is listening in on conversations and then tailoring online ads to them is primarily due to two factors: tracking online habits and exchanging preferences between nearby devices.
Monitoring of online habits is carried out continuously while users are connected to the Internet. This includes the websites they visit, the products they view and buy, the searches they conduct, the content they like on social media, and even the location recorded via the GPS on their device. This information allows companies to learn more about users’ interests and preferences and provide personalized recommendations. For example, if you search for hiking trails, you’ll likely end up seeing ads for trips to places where hiking is popular, even if you didn’t specifically search for that particular location.
However, the real culprit behind the myth that cell phones spy on conversations is the ability to share preferences between nearby devices. In other words, smartphones have a feature that allows them to share information about their shopping habits with each other. Just as people share information when they talk, devices do the same, with the aim of improving the personalization of online offers.
It is worth noting that this exchange is not linked to the owner of the mobile phone, but to the internet registration number (IP) of the device. This means that personal data is not “leaked”. Technically speaking, what is transmitted is “metadata” that does not allow identification of the individuals involved.
“Every day we search or consume online content, and this exchange between devices happens all the time. However, we don’t notice it when it comes to general topics, because we assume it’s just mass advertising. However, this catches our attention when we talk about a certain topic, such as traveling to an unusual country or a certain product or service, and then see ads about it. These specific cases create the perception that the mobile phone was listening to the conversation,” explains Leandro Cuoco, security analyst for Latin America at Kaspersky.
He recommends monitoring applications that actively monitor Internet usage behavior or interactions. To do this, simply check the permissions for each app and disable features that are considered invasive. If you want to limit the sharing of personal data, you can check your phone settings to prevent apps from accessing (and sharing with third parties) data about your browsing history or shopping habits.
To improve your online privacy, Kaspersky recommends:
- Use incognito mode: If you don’t want to customize the whole configuration or you just want to hide the history of certain websites, you can use incognito mode. In this way, the browser will not save information about the pages you visit, as well as cookies, passwords, etc. In addition, incognito mode allows you to continue using standard tabs and will not delete information that the browser has already saved.
- Block web tracking: Another way to avoid tracking is to use special programs and extensions, such as the popular AdBlock Plus, which also prevents social networks from tracking your activity (you must enable this function in the settings). You can also get a list of all tracking tools that are blocked by default. Kaspersky products already offer protection against web tracking.
- Get used to using a VPN tool: A virtual private network (VPN) is an essential tool for users connecting to different Wi-Fi networks. Some services are free, while others are paid. Sometimes it is better to invest in cyber security than to lose all valuable information.
E2 portal
Source: www.e2.rs
