Have you ever experienced a scenario where your phone presents an ad that is a little too coincidental? Or your Facebook ads changing after you mentioned something in a conversation? Like that time you were discussing an upcoming hiking trip with your friend or partner and you start seeing ads of sleeping bags and tents. If so, you’re not alone! Many people believe their phones are listening to their conversations and it is easy to understand why, with so many unexplained ad-targeting stories out there.
In 2011, Apple introduced Siri, the first virtual assistant designed for iPhones. It paved the way for Alexa, Google Assistant, Cortana, and many others. They listen to your voice all the time and, after you trigger a special command, recognize you so you can make calls, send texts, ask questions, and control your device.
Your phone is listening to you. It has to always listen to you so it can hear your voice command and assist you.
Apple randomly selects a small portion of users’ conversation with Siri to analyze them and see how they can improve the quality of their service. In 2019, a report revealed that Siri can sometimes be mistakenly activated and record private matters, such as people having sex, discussing business, and even talking with their doctors, all of which might later be passed on to contractors responsible for analyzing voice recordings. Apple apologized to its users and promised to improve its policies. But Siri’s case is not an exception, as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant are using similar systems.
Why is my phone listening to me?
When you ask Google Assistant or Siri to find something, the information will be used for online advertising. It’s no different from typing something into Google Search. If you’re looking for plots in your city, related ads will start chasing you across the internet. In a way, a virtual assistant is just another search engine.
Is listening to me without my knowledge legal?
When you’re using a virtual assistant, you agree to the terms and conditions of the service provider. And since you’ve given your consent, it’s legal to track your conversations with Google Assistant, Siri or Alexa for marketing purposes.
It only becomes illegal if an app is spying on you without your consent. This is the reason why it’s important to review the permissions you have given to certain services. If the photo editor or a calculator app asks to access your microphone, consider it fishy, as it can record your voice in the background and use the information for malicious purposes.
How to make my phone stop listening to me
A virtual assistant is just another feature on your smartphones, speakers, watches, or any other device. You can always disable it, if you don’t use it or feel unsafe.
How to disable “Ok Google” on Android:
- Go to Settings.
- Select Google > Account Services > Search, Assistant & Voice > Voice.
- Select Voice Match and toggle off Hey Google.
How to disable “Hey Siri” on iOS:
- Go to Settings > Siri & Search.
- Toggle off Listen for “Hey Siri”, Press Side Button for Siri, and Allow Siri When Locked.
- Tap on Turn Off Siri in the pop-up.
Recommendations
To preserve your privacy, we recommend the following measures:
- Only download apps from official app stores.
- Always keep your OS up to date for important security patches.
- Check the app permissions on your device and limit which apps have access to sensitive information, such as your location data.
- Use private browsing or incognito windows.
- Adopt a more privacy-friendly browser – Safari and Firefox have taken steps to protect users from digital fingerprinting.
- Use a trusted VPN. Grab NordVPN – Special Discount (72% off + 3months free on 2years plan).
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