in this time smart phones They have become indispensable in daily life. Despite all the advantages it offers, there are advantages as well The risks are no longer minimalincluding capacity Phones to record our conversations Without realizing it.
This feature is mainly used to retarget users with personalized ads. but How to avoid spying on your phone?
How and why do our phones record what we say?
Modern smartphones, especially those with Android operating systemCan Listen and record conversations Through the microphone.
Some audio snippets can be sent to applications such as Facebook Without notifying the userunaware of the effects this engagement would have on their exposure to advertising.
In fact, based on the use of certain features, many applications use the permissions that the user grants during downloading to access the microphone and obtain information periodically. All internal structures of applications send this information in encrypted form, so it is very important. It is difficult to know which application is intercepting A specific user conversation.
In more detail, here are 5 ways your phone spies on what you say and do:
1) Voice assistants
Voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa are designed to listen and respond to voice commands. Although they are only supposed to be activated after a voice command (such as “Hey Siri” or “Ok Google”), there have been cases where they have accidentally activated and recorded conversations without the user’s intention.
2) Third party applications
Some apps may ask for permissions to access your phone’s microphone. If these apps do not adhere to privacy policies, they can collect and transmit audio data without the user’s knowledge.
3) Targeted advertising
Advertising companies often use data collected from apps and devices to show you targeted ads. There has long been debate over whether phone microphones can be used to listen and gather information for this purpose, although technology companies have denied the practice.
4) Spyware
There are spyware that can be installed on the phone without the user’s consent. These are programs that can collect a wide range of data, including voice conversations.
5) Networks and services
Network operators and service providers may collect communications identification data (for example, who you called and when), and in some cases, they may be legally obligated to provide access to this information to authorities.
How to avoid spying on your smartphone?
To prevent our phone from recording conversations is useful to know How to turn off the microphone. Many apps ask for permission to access your microphone, and users often agree without fully understanding the implications.
The steps to follow to turn off the microphone on your Android phone are as follows:
- Open the Google app: Go to the Google app on your phone.
- Log in to your profile: Click on your profile picture in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Sign in to your Google Account: Select the “Google Account” option.
- Go to “Data & Privacy”: In the “Data & Privacy” section, scroll the horizontal menu and find the “Web & App Activity” option.
- Disable “Include speech and audio activity”: Disable this option to prevent audio and audio activity from being recorded.
- Stop saving activities: Click on “Stop saving” and confirm your decision by clicking on “Understand”.
These settings will help protect your privacy and prevent unauthorized recording of conversations. It’s also important to pay attention to the permissions granted to apps and review your privacy settings periodically.
Smartphones, although indispensable now, can bring with them significant risks to user privacy. By knowing the settings and permissions granted, we can take appropriate measures to protect personal information and avoid unauthorized recording of conversations.
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