You didn’t search it, but the ad still found you
Mention taking a trip to Antarctica near your phone, and suddenly every screen you own starts pushing parkas. You didn’t search it. Didn’t type it. Definitely didn’t ask your smart speaker to recommend thermal underwear. But the “Visit Antarctica” ads found you anyway. So how did they know?
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 between 18–22 kHz) are baked into ads, websites, even retail kiosks. You won’t hear them, but your devices do.
That’s how advertisers link your laptop, smart TV, phone and even your smart speaker together as one user profile. That profile can then be used to deliver hyper-targeted ads and track your behavior across devices and platforms. Nice.
🧠 Why marketers love it
Because it’s invisible. And almost no one’s blocking it.
Unlike cookies or GPS tracking, this doesn’t ask for permission. It’s passive, sneaky and hard to detect.
😳 Yes, it’s real
The FTC isn’t thrilled about this tech. They issued warnings to companies using it without proper disclosure, especially ones embedding code into apps and ads. Marketers are still pushing the limits, quietly experimenting without you clicking a thing.
🛑 How to protect yourself
I’ve listed the basic steps below. They might vary by device, so 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: Settings > Privacy > Permission Manager > Microphone, then deny access for anything that doesn’t absolutely need it.
✅ Turn off tracking on your smart TV
- Samsung TVs: Settings > Support > Terms & Privacy > Viewing Information Services, and toggle it off.
- LG TVs: Settings > All Settings > General > User Agreements, and uncheck Personalized Advertising.
- Roku TVs: Settings > Privacy > Advertising, and limit ad tracking.
✅ Stop your smart speaker from storing recordings
- Amazon Alexa: Settings > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data > Choose Don’t Save Recordings.
- Google Nest/Home: Google Home app > Settings > Privacy > Turn off audio recording.
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: Amazon, Android, devices, Google, security
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