The privacy threat no one blocks
You mention Antarctica once. Just a throwaway joke near your phone, “Wouldn’t it be cool to go freeze my face off?” Suddenly, your phone, laptop, smart TV, smart speaker and even your fridge are pitching you parkas like it’s QVC Arctic Edition. 🥶
Chances are, you were hit by ultrasonic cross-device tracking.
This high-frequency sound is too high for your ears to notice, but it connects your devices without your knowledge. No clicks. No cookies. Just vibes.
🎯 What is ultrasonic tracking?
It’s audio surveillance in stealth mode. Ultrasonic tones (usually 18–22 kHz) are baked into ads, websites and retail kiosks. It’s crazy smart. You won’t hear the tone, but your devices do.
Advertisers use it to link your laptop, phone, smart TV and speaker together as belonging to one person. That’s how you get hyper-targeted ads across your devices and platforms.
🩵 Why marketers love it
Because it’s invisible and almost no one’s blocking it. Unlike cookies, this doesn’t ask for permission. You can’t even hear it, how are you supposed to know it’s going on?
The FTC isn’t thrilled about this tech. They issued warnings to companies using it without proper disclosure, especially those embedding code into apps and ads. Marketers are still pushing the limits, quietly experimenting without you clicking a thing.
🛑 How to protect yourself
The basic steps might vary by device. If it’s not exactly where I say, just poke around. You’ll find it.
✅ Limit mic access on your devices
- iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. Turn off access for apps that don’t need it.
- Android: Open Settings > Security and Privacy > Permission Manager > Microphone.
✅ Turn off tracking on your smart TV
- Samsung TVs: Head to Settings > Support > Terms & Policies, and toggle off Viewing Information Services.
- LG TVs: Open Settings > All Settings > General > Privacy & Terms > User Agreements, and uncheck Personalized Advertising.
- If you are using a different TV, search for Interest-based ads or Ad personalization and uncheck those options.
✅ Stop your smart speaker from storing recordings
- Amazon: Open the Alexa App > More (three lines) > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data, choose how long to save recordings.
- Google: Go to your Google Account > Data & privacy > Web & App Activity, then uncheck the box next to Include voice and audio activity.
Silent tracking is real, but now, you’re putting your hands over tech’s ears, saying, “La la la, I can’t hear you.”
Tags: Android, Apple iPhone, devices, security, smart TV
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