Have you ever had a conversation with someone you know, about anything, only to open your phone a few minutes later and see an ad for something that was mentioned in the conversation? Or perhaps a question you asked your friend, and then you click on your smartphone web browser and see that suggested question in the search bar? Many people don’t realize it but we are constantly being listened to by our cell phones for advertising and user purposes. But many are uncomfortable with the fact that our devices are constantly listening to us. The questions that remain are – why does it happen and is there a way to stop it.
Why Do They Listen?
Smartphone developers have made it quite clear over time that our phones are listening to us to collect data for the user’s experience – whether it be for advertising purposes or collecting data for apps. Over the years there has been some serious backlash from users on this matter. Many feel it is an invasion of one’s privacy.
Unfortunately, many people agree to these terms of services without even realizing it. Many apps and operating systems ask for you to agree to their terms of services before even downloading. We all see these forms, but most of us never really read the fine print of these agreements. Even so, would you be willing to be extremely limited with the use of your smartphone to protect your privacy?
Can You Stop Your Phone from Listening To You?
There are certain ways you can block your apps from utilizing your in-phone microphone. But as stated before, you would be limiting the usage of said apps. Right away, you pretty much eliminate all hands-free usage of those apps. If certain apps require access to your camera and microphone for recording purposes, expect to have very little to no functionality within those applications.
Whether or not you believe our phones listening to us is an invasion of privacy, I think we can all agree that it surely is creepy knowing our devices practically have a mind of their own.