Want to opt-out of online tracking and take back your privacy? I share the secret in this one-minute podcast.
8 ways your phone is tracking you - That you can stop now
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You understand that your phone knows where you’re located. This is how GPS works, how Find My sees your location and why you get local ads on Facebook and Google. Like other data on your phone, that location data is a hot commodity for internet marketers.
Thankfully, you don’t have to stand for this kind of data collection. These tactics are legal because the companies behind them give you a choice to opt in or out, but not everyone knows how to change the settings. We’ll show you how to stop your phone from tracking you. Ready to go dark? Let’s get started.
This tip is brought to you by our sponsor, TotalAV. Right now, get an annual plan of TotalAV Internet Security for only $19 at ProtectWithKim.com. That’s over 85% off the regular price.
1. Tweak your phone’s location settings
You can prevent iOS and Android from tracking you, but companies don’t make it easy. The feature is buried inside your device’s privacy settings and, by default, records your daily routine.
Known as “Frequent Locations,” it keeps track of where you are and how long you stay there. It even knows where you live and work based on how long you’re there and when you visit.
If you find this unsettling, you can turn the feature off. Here are the basic steps, but depending on your specific model and operating system, you may need to follow different instructions.
Turn off location settings on Apple devices
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Select Location Services.
- Scroll down and tap System Services.
- Choose Significant Locations to see the logged record of where you’ve been and toggle it off.
You can also clear your history here by clicking Clear History.
I wasted 36 hours trying to do it myself
© Fizkes | Dreamstime.com
So many of the calls, emails, messages and DMs I get are about privacy and security. I can’t remember the last time I had a full day where no one asked me some version of “How do I get all this info about me off the internet?”
Why you should use Google to search for your email address right now
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We’ve written a lot of articles about Google searches and online databases. Our online safety is important, and much of that comes down to regulating our searches and learning how to protect ourselves. Tap or click here for seven things to never search for on Google.
Your ISP sees everything you do online - Here's how to stop it
We all know that Google, Amazon and Facebook are tracking us, but have you really thought about your ISP? That’s short for “internet service provider.” Depending on where you live, you may have a few to choose from — or maybe there’s only one.