The Hidden Spy in Your Pocket: 8 Ways Your Devices Secretly Watch You (Along With Solutions)

Although our devices—our smartphones, tablets, and computers—make our lives easier and make it possible to stay connected with each other, they can also act pretty sneaky sometimes. To put it frankly, they’re digital spies, which means your personal data has the potential to fall into the wrong hands without you even realizing it. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from potential threats. Here are 8 ways your devices secretly watch you and what you should do about it.

Microphone Eavesdropping

Here’s a disturbing phenomenon that a lot of people have started to notice: they’ll have a conversation about random stuff, and within minutes an ad pops up for seemingly related products. It’s not a coincidence. Some apps are able to identify keywords, especially when your permissions are lax.

Solution: Check on your app permissions on a regular basis. If they have unnecessary access to your camera, microphone, location, and contacts, turn them off.