Bluetooth is tracking you even when your GPS is off. Apps use it to map your movements and build profiles. Here’s how to stop them and protect your privacy.
Read this before you renew your car insurance
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You’ve probably seen this pitch from your insurance company: “Drive safely and save. Sign up for our smart driving program today!”
You’ve got a squeaky-clean record, so what’s the harm, right? Before you sign up, let’s pop the hood.
😳 What they’re tracking
These programs use an app on your phone or a gadget in your car to monitor how you drive. It tracks:
- Speed
- Hard braking
- Quick acceleration
- Late-night driving
- Phone use behind the wheel
That data gets mixed with your age, ZIP code and driving history to build a score. If your score’s high enough, you might get 10% to 30% off your premium. Sounds good, but there’s more to it.
🤑 Your driving habits = gold mine
State Farm dings you if you go just 8 mph over the limit, even to avoid an accident. GEICO and Allstate frown on nighttime driving. That’s fine if you’re in bed by 9, but not if your kid’s practice wraps up after dark or you work the late shift.
You can bet every insurer, including Progressive, Travelers and, yes, State Farm, tracks phone activity. That means if your screen lights up in your pocket, you’re “distracted.”
Use Do Not Disturb While Driving mode and stash your phone in a compartment or mount. Even pocket motion can trigger a flag.
🪄 Your data doesn’t disappear
Here’s where it gets sketchy. Some insurers raise your rates if they think you’re risky, even if you never file a claim. And they’re not always transparent about how long they keep or share your data.
Your phone is spying on you
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Your phone keeps all your secrets. Where you’ve been. What you’ve typed. Even which sketchy Wi-Fi you used in 2017. It’s got the memory of an elephant and the self-restraint of a toddler with a drum set.
Let’s just call your phone “Sir Veillance.”
Apple ups privacy: Websites can still track you by stitching together your IP, device info and time zone into a “fingerprint.” No opt-out. iOS 26 (out Sept. 16) will auto-block that in Safari. Add in spam call screening and link-tracking protection, and Apple’s getting a privacy facelift.
📱 Apple ups privacy: Websites can still track you by stitching together your IP, device info and time zone into a “fingerprint.” No opt-out. iOS 26 (out tomorrow) will auto-block that in Safari. Add in spam call screening and link-tracking protection, and Apple’s getting a privacy facelift.
📧 Big Tech is reading your emails: Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, so annoying. They all snoop on what you open, click and even say. I use StartMail because it puts privacy first: no ads, no tracking, and encrypted email with unlimited disposable addresses. Try it free for 7 days right now, and get 60% off. It’s what I use, and I trust it.
🫣 Ops oopsy: We’ve all replied to the wrong group text. Awkward, sure. But ICE agents took “reply all” to a whole new level. While tracking a deportation target, they accidentally added a random civilian to their official group chat. That one mistake spilled DMV records, license plate scans and even an unredacted operations worksheet, all through unencrypted texts. The kicker? The civilian thought it was just spam and ignored it for weeks. If ICE accidentally looped me in, I’d send them a Venmo request for “data protection consulting fees.”
Stop creepy ad tracking
Your phone’s Mobile Advertising ID tracks your activity, location, and purchases, then sells the data. Here’s how to turn off personalized ads on iPhone and Android to protect your privacy.
🤖 Messiah-as-a-service: I guess I shouldn’t be shocked. A wave of for-profit developers are cranking out AI Jesus chatbots, complete with data tracking and pop-up ads, claiming to be the literal voice of Christ. These AI blasphemy bots with no ties to actual churches are running on algorithms tuned for engagement and profit, not scripture. It’s gone from “Give us this day our daily bread” to “Give us this day our daily banner ad.” Don’t fall for it.
📧 Big Tech are email snoops: Gmail, Yahoo and all those other Big Tech companies track your email activity. You don’t need to put up with it. StartMail puts privacy first! No ads, no tracking, includes encrypted emails and disposable addresses. Get 60% off your first year, and try it free for seven days. Such a great service and deal!
Fix your mouse on MacBook: Go to System Settings > Mouse > Tracking speed to adjust how fast the pointer moves. If you’re coming from a Windows PC, go to Secondary click and set it to Click Right Side for a more familiar feeling. Bonus: You can also try out the free Mos app for smoother scrolling.
Instagram is tracking you right now
Two creepy new Instagram features could expose your likes and location. If you value your privacy, turn them off now!
Sleep surveillance: Is your Fitbit saying you’re waking up at night more than usual? It’s not because you’re broken, sleep tracking just got “more accurate.” Translation: Fitbit is clocking every micro-wiggle like it’s the NyQuil NSA. Google says this is step one in a whole series of sleep upgrades, rest assured.
Stop your TV from collecting data
Your smart TV isn’t just watching shows, it’s watching you. Here’s how to stop it from tracking everything you do.
Delete YouTube history: Sign into YouTube on your PC and click the three-dot menu (top left). Tap History, then select Clear all watch history on the right side of the screen. You can also choose Pause watch history to stop it from tracking future videos. PSA: This will also change your recommendations.
🪙 It’s genius: President Trump signed the GENIUS Act, bringing new rules to cryptocurrency, specifically stablecoins like USDC and Tether, which are backed by real assets like the U.S. dollar. The law sets standards for who can issue them and how they’re regulated. Bottom line: Crypto’s going legit, with tracking, taxing and oversight baked in. Sorry, crypto cowboys.
🕵️♀️ Tracked and terrified: A Nebraska woman thought she dropped her AirPods. Instead, she pulled a tracking device from her car, then found four more. The kicker? That’s not illegal in her state. No consent laws, no tracking rules. She installed cameras, caught her ex, and is now pushing to change the law. Here’s what to do if you find one.
💸 GameStop owes you cash: GameStop’s shelling out $4.5M after quietly slipping your purchase info to Facebook via tracking pixels. If you bought a game online from August 2020 to April 2025 and had a Facebook account, you might get $5 or a $10 store voucher. It’s petty cash, but still, they owe you. File by Aug. 15, 2025.
👁️ Check your Chrome extensions: Some “helpful” Chrome extensions with over 1.7 million installs were secretly tracking your browser moves and even rerouting clicks. They looked benign, like color pickers or VPN tools. Spoiler: They weren’t. Google’s still cleaning up the mess, but some are still live. Time to check your browser like it’s the bedsheets at a seedy motel.
🤖 You’ve got a friend in me: AI leaders like Musk, Zuckerberg and Microsoft are pushing bots as personalized friends (paywall link) to combat loneliness, but more importantly, for user engagement and data tracking. AI companions are constantly being tweaked with just enough bias to keep you loyal, as seen with Musk’s Grok being “retrained” after backlash for leaning too liberal.