You know how your friends talk to you about something and the next moment, you’re served up an ad on your phone for the very same thing? No prior search. No prior engagement. Chances are, you had probably never heard of it until that time, yet somehow an ad found its way to you.
So how did that happen? Is your phone listening to you?
The answer is yes (and no, too).
Well, not in the way you’re inclined to think. Sure, your phone has a voice-based assistant that’s always on, listening for trigger words (like “Siri” or “OK Google”). But they are not entirely responsible for the ad.
It’s a lot more complicated than that.
Data and why companies want it so bad
You see, companies like Google collect data when you use any of their free apps and services. Using algorithms, these companies target you with ads. The more accurate the data they have on you, the better the ads they serve up will do their job. It’s no wonder people often say: data is the new oil.
So, what kind of data do companies generally look for?
For the most part, the data that companies seek fall under 4 broad categories:
- Personal data: This usually refers to data that relates to an identified or identifiable individual. It includes gender, device ID and location.
- Attitudinal data: This consists of qualitative data, like consumer satisfaction reports (all the reviews you leave online—from food delivery to clothing) and so on.
- Engagement data: This is the collection of your interactions with brands on social media (likes, comments, shares, website clicks and more).
- Behavioral data: This data set often consists of factors like time spent on pages, purchases made online – including in-game purchases and e-commerce websites. It also includes data from all searches made.
Now, this might seem like a startling amount of personal data that you would not consciously give consent to, which begs the question…
How do they get it?
When you use a search engine, the data is stored and used later for online advertising.
When you ask the voice-based assistant on your phone to help you find something, that information too is used for online advertising. You may not realize it, but using these voice assistants is akin to using a search engine. If you ask them to navigate to a restaurant, you are technically ‘searching’ for a way to get there.
Sometimes, sites just straight up ask you for the information. Plain and simple. Think back to those times you wanted to play Texas Hold ‘Em Poker or Candy Crush. All you needed to gain access to those games was hand over basic data on your Facebook profile (at the click of a button).
Another way they get the information is by working with data and market research companies.
They may even get the data they need using cookies that follow you when you are on their site and long after you leave.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. There are ways to protect yourself (and your data) when you’re online.
How you can avoid it
For starters, turn off apps that do not necessarily need access to your microphone. If you have concerns about your voice-based assistants, you could just turn them off in your phone settings.
Another tip to boost your privacy is to use services headquartered in countries with strict rules on privacy. For secure mailing, try ProtonMail or Runbox. These are both in countries with tough privacy laws.
If you want to browse the web with total anonymity, do it through the Tor browser.
If you want to send messages securely, try apps like Signal or Telegram.
Using a VPN service on your phone can also significantly enhance your privacy: by masking your IP address and encrypting traffic.
Finally, it certainly helps to stay mindful of the kind of apps you download. Before using an app for the first time, check out whether the benefits you get from it are worth the potential loss of privacy.
Final words
No matter how much you try, it’s virtually impossible to not leave a digital footprint. So, all you can do is take all the precautions you can to ensure you’re protected at all times. At the end of the day, there’s no real substitute for due diligence, especially when you are on the internet.
