I’ve read that 50% of teens say they are addicted to their smartphones. While that’s a self-diagnosis at best, it rings true for most of us in modern society. We simply cannot live without our phones.
They do everything for us, but does this convenience come at a price? Our phones allow us to carry our planner, to-do list, and phone book in our back pocket, but are they also invading our personal space?
Then there are the apps that make the phone unique to us and our daily routines. They keep us connected to our friends and help us plan our day. But when we give these apps certain permissions, is it at the cost of our privacy?
I ask, is Big Brother really watching us? And if so, do we make it too easy? Here’s a few creepy things our iPhones do, and what we can do to stop them.
4 Creepy Things Your Phone Does
- Predicts Your Behavior: Beyond listening and tracking, smartphones utilize AI to predict your behavior, suggesting apps, or actions based on your routine. This predictive technology learns from your habits, aiming to be helpful but also raising questions about privacy.
- Listens to Us: Your smartphone’s apps, like Facebook and Instagram, can listen in on your conversations if given microphone access, tailoring ads and content based on what they “hear.”
- Tracks Us: Your phone tracks every location you visit, cataloging your movements under ‘Frequent Locations.’ This data can reveal your daily routine, favorite spots, and even predict future locations.
- Uses Our Location for Ads: Location tracking extends to ad targeting, using your whereabouts to push relevant advertisements, whether you’re browsing on public Wi-Fi or just walking by a store.
10 Creepy Things to Ask Siri
- “Do you watch me sleep?” Siri might give you a witty response, but it’s a creepy thought that our phones are always on, potentially listening or watching.
- “Can you hear everything I say?” Asking this highlights the concern over privacy and whether our devices are listening in on our conversations.
- “What do you know about me?” Siri’s answer can be unnerving, reflecting the amount of personal information stored on our phones.
- “Tell me a horror story.” Siri can spin up a quick tale, reminding us of the AI’s ability to generate content that could be unsettling.
- “When will I die?” Siri’s response to existential questions can be humorous or eerie, emphasizing the AI’s limitations and our own curiosity about the unknown.
- “Are you spying on me?” This question often leads to a humorous denial but taps into widespread fears about surveillance and privacy.
- “Can you see me right now?” While Siri can’t “see” in the literal sense, this question raises concerns about camera access and privacy.
- “What’s my exact location?” Siri can pinpoint your location with surprising accuracy, a reminder of the constant tracking capabilities of our phones.
- “Listen to my heartbeat.” While Siri can’t physically do this, asking such questions highlights the growing capabilities of health monitoring technologies on our devices.
- “Can you keep a secret?” Siri’s programmed responses to this question playfully remind users of the digital nature of their confidante, but also the vast amount of personal data we entrust to our devices.
These questions and features reflect the complex relationship we have with our smartphones: they’re indispensable tools for modern life, yet they also serve as a constant reminder of our concerns over privacy, surveillance, and the increasing intelligence of the technology we carry in our pockets.
1. It Listens to Us
Have you ever been talking about something with your friends only to have it pop up in your timeline hours later? Well, that’s because your phone is listening.
That’s right. The Facebook app (as well as Instagram) is listening to you, but not without your permission, of course. If you’ve given your phone’s microphone access to certain apps (think Facebook or Instagram), then you’ve turned this feature on yourself.
The feature was created to allow users the ability to share what they are watching or listening to without having to type. The app requests access to your microphone to listen to background noise.
It then assesses this ambient noise to identify music or TV shows that you may be enjoying. While this is unsettling, Facebook says it’s only active when a user is typing a status update, and that it doesn’t store any information about what is heard or identified.
How do you turn it off? Go to ‘Settings,’ and then ‘Microphone Settings’. Then, make sure none of the apps listed have microphone access.
2. It Tracks Us
If you’re like most people, you probably have your iPhone in your pocket every second of every day. Haven’t you noticed that your iPhone can tell you precisely how long your morning commute will be?
That’s because your phone is tracking everywhere you go. If you want proof, go to the Settings section, and hit the ‘Privacy’ tab. Then, click ‘Location Services’ at the top, which will probably say ‘On’.
Next, scroll to the bottom of the menu and click ‘System Services.‘ Finally, press ‘Frequent Locations,‘ the very last option available. Then, you’ll see a complete list of your frequent haunts.
If you don’t want your phone to track your daily movements, just switch the setting to ‘Off’ in this screen.
If you prefer your photos not to show where you’ve been, I recommend turning off Location Services. I recently found out that if you open your photo album and select Photos, your phone records the time, place, and date for each of your memories.
So if you don’t want people to know where you are or where you’ve been, turn it off.
Note: Disabling this feature gets rid of the geotag in the photos you take from that moment forward, but not previously taken photos.
3. It Uses Our Location for Ads
Your phone will also use location tracking to show you targeted ads. If you’re connected to public wi-fi for internet browsing, your phone will use its location to display the most relevant ads based on where you are and what you’re doing. Facebook mentions that it “uses information from various sources like the current city in your profile, IP address, data from mobile devices with location services turned on, and combined information about the locations of friends.”
To turn this setting off on your iPhone, go to ‘Privacy Settings,‘ click on ‘Advertising‘ and turn ‘Limit Ad Tracking‘ off.
It Tracks Airplanes
While this doesn’t really invade your privacy, it is a strange feature. Your iPhone can tell you which plane is flying above you at any given moment. All you have to do is ask Siri, “What flights are above me?”
If you don’t want to know what happening in the skies above, just don’t ask Siri for this information.
I’ve scoured the internet, and I have yet to find a way to disable this feature. But it is a little scary, especially for those who travel a lot. If Siri can tell you what flight is up ahead, will she one day be able to tell you who’s on it? (Probably not, but it’s something to think about.)
Final Thoughts
I’m not saying we should go back to the flip phones of yesteryear. Instead, I’m saying we need to be more diligent about which apps we let into our lives, and which permissions we grant them.
While our phones can be our greatest asset in our daily lives, they can also be the greatest downfall to our already dwindling privacy.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve noticed your smartphone doing? How have you stopped it? Leave your experiences in the comments below.