Is Your Phone Spying on You?

    Pay close attention to your phone for a couple of days. It may seem like it knows you a little too well. You spend an afternoon watching basketball videos on YouTube. The next day, you get ads for Nike high-tops in your Gmail. You search online for help fixing your bike tires. Suddenly, it seems like the entire internet is trying to sell you a new bike.

    The fact is, when you go online, you’re being watched. Companies are tracking every move you make. They know what you search for. They keep lists of things you buy. They record what you like on social media. They even track where you go during the day.

    It sounds creepy, right? You can be completely alone when you use your phone. 

    But what you’re doing is not private.

    Pay attention to your phone. It may seem to know you too well. You watch basketball videos on YouTube. The next day, you get ads for high-tops in your Gmail. You search online for bike tires. Soon, you are getting ads about bikes.

    You are being watched when you go online. Companies track what you do. They know what you search for. They know what you buy. They know what you like on social media. They even track where you go.

    Creepy, right? You can be alone when you use your phone. But what you do is not private.

    If you pay close attention to your phone, you may start to wonder whether it knows you too well. You watch basketball videos on YouTube for an afternoon. The next day, you receive a promotion for Nike high-tops in your Gmail. You search online for instructions for fixing your bike’s tires. Suddenly, the entire internet seems to be trying to sell you a new bike.

    The reality is, when you go online, you’re being watched. Companies track every move you make, including what you search for and buy. They also track what you like on social media. They even track where you go throughout the day.

    It sounds invasive and creepy, right? You can be completely alone while using your phone, but what you’re doing online is not private.

    Who is spying on you? Why do they want to know what you do? 

    Companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon are the “spies.” Apps like Candy Crush also collect data on you. They collect the data to serve you better. For example, Amazon tracks the books you buy. If you buy Harry Potter, it can suggest another fantasy novel you might like.

    They also collect the data to make money. The companies make money selling ads that target you. Last year, Google made more than $116 billion from ads. Facebook made $55 billion.

    Who exactly is spying on you? And why are they interested in what you do? 

    The “spies” are internet companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Apps like Subway Surfers or Candy Crush also collect data on you. Partly, they do so to provide a better service. For example, Amazon tracks which books you buy. Then it uses that information to make recommendations for other books you might enjoy—perhaps another fantasy novel if you’ve already bought Harry Potter. 

    But these companies have another reason for collecting your data: to make big bucks selling ads. Last year, Google made more than $116 billion in ad revenue, and Facebook made $55 billion.

    Here’s how it works. Companies like Instagram put you in categories. The categories are based on what you do online. For example, they can tell that you love music. They also know that you are a female teenager. And they know that you are a resident of Minnesota.

    Advertisers pick from those and other categories. Their ads go out to people in the categories they choose. An ad for a Shawn Mendes concert in Chicago might go to “teen girls from the Midwest who like pop music.”

    Advertisers love using data this way. The ads go to the people who are most likely to buy their stuff. Google and Facebook love it too. They have turned into two of the largest companies in the world by selling ads. 

    But what about your privacy? Should you be worried? Most internet companies say you should not be. They don’t share your name with advertisers. The information they share is connected to an IP address. It’s a number. Every computer, phone, and tablet has one. Advertisers use the IP addresses to send out their ads. But you stay anonymous.

    What these companies know can be very personal—and creepy. In 2017, Facebook said it could tell when young users were feeling “stressed.” They said they didn’t sell the data for ads. But they could in the future.

    Companies like Instagram put you in categories based on your activity online. Maybe they can tell that you’re a music lover, a female teenager, and a resident of Minnesota. Advertisers pick from those categories when placing their ads. For example, an ad for a Shawn Mendes concert in Chicago might be sent to “teenage girls from the Midwest who like pop music.”

    Advertisers love being able to target the people who are most likely to buy their stuff. Google and Facebook love it too because they are now two of the largest companies in the world—thanks to selling ads.

    But what about you? Do you love targeted ads, or are you worried about your privacy? Most internet companies say there’s no need to worry. The information they share with advertisers is only connected to a number called an IP address, which every computer, phone, and tablet has. Your name is not included in the information they share. Advertisers use the IP addresses to send ads directly to your device, but you remain anonymous.

    Still, the information can get very personal—and creepy. In 2017, Facebook said it could determine when young users were feeling “stressed” or “worthless.” They claimed the data wasn’t mined for ads, but there’s nothing to prevent that from happening in the future.

    What does the law say about all this? If you’re under 13, companies can collect and share information about you only with your parents’ permission. Otherwise, they can be fined. But teenagers and adults are not protected.

    Every app has a privacy policy. Every website has one too. It explains how your data will be used. But the policy can be hard to find. It is often long. One study found that reading every policy for every site you visit would take 30 days.

    How can you protect your privacy? Change the privacy settings on your phone. Change the settings on your apps too. There isn’t much more you can do. For now, those ads for high-tops are here to stay.

    What does the law have to say about your online privacy? If you’re under 13, companies can be fined if they collect and share information about you without your parents’ permission. But no such protection exists for teenagers and adults.

    Every app or website has a privacy policy, which explains how your data will be used. However, the policy is often difficult to find and extremely long. One study showed it would take 30 days to read the privacy policies for every website you visit.

    To help protect your privacy, you can adjust the privacy settings on your phone and your apps. Aside from that, experts say, there isn’t much more you can do. 

    The internet runs on the personal information of its users—so for now, those ads for high-tops are here to stay.