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Privacy has always been a concern, even before the introduction of technology. So, when more advanced technology such as smartphones appeared, people were more concerned about privacy than the actual product. Technology has made it easier than ever to track people online, and companies such as Google and Facebook are no help. In this article, we will cover all the ways that technology is spying on you and gathering your personal information. We will also teach you how to protect yourself online and your data. These include all the common methods such as not sharing your private information online, but it will also include the methods that many other articles don’t cover. Stay tuned to find out more.
How are you being tracked?
Companies such as Google and Facebook are gathering an absurd amount of information about you and all the things going on in your life. This includes the usual things that we hear about all the time like search history, what you watch on YouTube, the ads that you watch, and the music that you listen to.
But there’s more. Google even tracks all the not very usual things such as your location, the way you interact with your phone, the apps you use, and even the things you say!
For example, let’s say your having a private conversation with someone and you mention something about Apple. Your phone, be it iOS, HarmonyOS, KanOS, or Android, picks up that message and sends it over to Google for processing. That then adds the category “Apple” to your Google advertising profile so the next time you’re browsing the internet, the ads will become more and more relevant to you. If you view an advertisement about Apple and you decide to click on it, a small fee is then charged to the individual that posted the advertisement and the website owner earns a small commission. Google earns some money from it as well. Now Google has confirmed that you do indeed like Apple and will only give you ads that speak positive things about them and censor anything that goes against your beliefs.
As for the advertising profile, you can see yours by going to adssettings.google.com. The only reason it exists is because of a law that requires companies to inform the user about how much information they hold about you. If it wasn’t for this law, I don’t think the page would exist. All you need to do is sign in with your Google account and find out how much Google really knows about you. It can even predict things as private as your marital status!
What would happen if this information were to fall into the wrong hands?
All the things that I have just listed are awful. And yes, it is not the best thing in the world having companies track each and everything you do, yet some people see nothing wrong with it. There is a chance that you have just read that and thought to yourself “so what?” Well, here are some examples of things that wouldn’t’ve happened otherwise, had only the individuals taken the correct measures to keep themselves (and their data) safe.
Allow me to give you an example.
It’s 2018. Amazon just announced that they’re releasing a new home security service by the name of “Amazon Ring.” You, of course, trust Amazon to fulfill all your online shopping needs so why wouldn’t you trust them with your home security, right? WRONG. Amazon Ring was a HUGE failure due to all its privacy concerns such as the fact that the only layer of security protecting one from accessing the cameras placed inside of your house.
Now, as we all know, data breaches happen. So, let’s say that theoretically, someone found out the password to you Amazon account. Well, congrats! Now normally, all they’d have access to just your bank card, your billing address, which is most likely your living address, full name, date of birth, etc. which is already absurd, but now they have access to your home security cameras and the microphones installed inside of them.
They can now hear each word you speak and every movement you make. Also, don’t ask me why but for whatever reason, Mr. Bezos here thought it would be a good idea to put a mini-SPEAKER inside of the cameras. Now that may not sound so bad, right? WRONG AGAIN! It would’ve been alright if it was just for things like alerting when movement is detected, but he allowed the speaker to be controlled via the internet, which led to things like this happening:
What’s even creepier is that we don’t even know for how long they’ve been watching her and how much they’ve already seen/heard. Just imagine the things that they could've done with such top-tier access.
5 tips for staying safe online
Use a VPN
It may seem like a small thing, but it really does make a big difference. It masks your IP which prevents you from being tracked. You can also bypass internet censorship by changing your DNS location to somewhere where the content isn't blocked. For example, I can watch USA exclusive shows in any part of the world if I wanted to.
It doesn't even have to be some fancy NoskVPN or whatever, literally anything will work.
Use an Adblocker
You may be sat there thinking "Why on Earth would I need an adblocker?" Well, there's a few reasons.
One of them is (of course) blocking ads, but there's so much more. You see, while most adblockers just block ads, Adguard does so much more. It can block trackers, pop-ups, and even YouTube ads! It also removes the gray space that some other adblockers leave behind.
They also have a desktop app, and for only $2.99 a month and up to 3 devices, you can be protected while surfing the internet, using your mobile phone, and even some desktop apps! Available on Mac, Windows, and Android.
If you are considering trying it out, use this link to support Vadicent News.
Be careful of what you post online
Some people can get to comfortable online and share some private details without even knowing it. For example, 20 years ago, if a website asked for your phone number you would do a lot of research on the website and what they can do with your phone number. Nowadays, people give out their phone number, email address, and even passwords without a second thought.
People can also track you down by location tags on your photos and if you were to take a photo out of your window, then people could use Google maps to track down where you took that photo and where you live. Trust me, it's been done before.
Social media can also cause you to share personal information that you wouldn't've shared otherwise.
Check the reputation of a website before signing up
Now this next one might seem a bit tedious, but bear with me.
When you're signing up for a service, READ THE PRIVACY POLICY. I know it's long and boring, but it contains a list of all of the things that the service collects and what they do with it. Just skim through it and check the reputation of the website if you're lazy to do that.
If it seem dangerous, don't
If your gut tells you it's malware or dangerous, then chances are, it is. Just to make sure run it through a virus total scan. It's saved me plenty of time.
Conclusion
In this article, we have covered the negative side of technology, but as with everything, there are positives as well. For example, it can allow you to communicate with your loved ones and those you don't care about.
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