Whether you’re someone who spends a lot of time online or you prefer to stay away from technology, the truth is that information about your dining, lodging, shopping, and social activities is widely accessible.
We now carry small computers everywhere we go, most of which gather and convey vast amounts of personal data, including location information, to private companies that may sell it.
“Tracking devices can accomplish remarkable things, enabling global connections and access to information like never before,” remarks Kade Crockford, the head of the Technology for Liberty Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts. “However, they also enable corporations and governments to monitor our every action and even our innermost thoughts like never before.”
Why it’s difficult to refuse location tracking technology
For some individuals, tracking technology provides reassurance. Many people use location-sharing apps to inform friends and family of their whereabouts. Devices such as Apple AirTags or Samsung SmartTags have been adopted by parents in their effort to monitor their younger children, and frequent travelers often tag their luggage to prevent loss. Furthermore, geotagging enhances social media posts by positioning users at popular destinations.
Convenience is also a significant advantage. Navigation applications like Google Maps utilize crowdsourced real-time location data to gather information about local road conditions, presumably enabling drivers to make more informed travel decisions and offering tailored search outcomes for potential places to visit.
Comparable tracking software appears in weather applications and navigation tools like Apple Maps, which use device sensors to gather data such as GPS coordinates and Bluetooth information to operate effectively.
Insurance companies have started tracking vehicle diagnostics to assess a customer’s risk, modifying premiums or providing discounts based on data like acceleration or braking habits.
The intrusion into personal data can seem more acceptable when individuals receive more tailored products and services as a result.
However, Alessandro Acquisti, a professor specializing in information technology and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, argues that, from an economic perspective, the benefits of personalized online experiences are not always straightforward. This includes those arising from location data, such as behavior-based advertisements: For instance, if you frequently visit cafes, you may encounter advertisements for coffee products or other nearby stores.
“Advertising intermediaries can strategically leverage the information they gather about consumers to primarily benefit themselves… instead of the other participants in the ecosystem,” he explains. “When it comes to advertising, tracking does not seem to be as advantageous for consumers as is often suggested.”
Location tracking you might not know about—and who can access the information
Although smartphones, smartwatches, and computers are among the most apparent offenders, numerous technologies secretly share our most private moments.
Banking applications like Venmo have been found to track the geographical data of your phone to assist in identifying fraud and preventing unauthorized transactions. Home security systems leverage location data to implement a virtual perimeter called a geofence, which can automate certain features like home and away modes when you exit its limits. Devices such as airport cameras equipped with facial recognition technology have historically raised concerns regarding the potential misuse of their data against individuals.
Aspects of your personal life, including website interactions and cookies, credit card transactions, and various other trackers, can also contribute to creating your distinctive digital footprint.
“When you consider these data points individually, they may not seem very invasive,” explains Sandra Matz-Cerf, a computational social scientist at Columbia Business School who utilizes Big Data to explore the connection between the online environment and human behaviors. “However, when combined, the data traces can create a remarkably detailed understanding of an individual at a much more personal level.”
At any moment, this information is also sold to the highest bidder. Sensitive data can be shared from data brokers to foreign governments, law enforcement, and employers.
“It’s almost impossible for an individual to truly grasp the extent to which their own data is distributed globally,” states security and privacy advocate Thorin Klosowski, who is affiliated with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding digital privacy and free expression.
Inappropriately acquired, location data can be weaponized by malicious individuals to locate and endanger potential victims. Domestic abusers have been known to utilize tracking technology to locate and intimidate their targets, while scammers and hackers can exploit detailed online information and geolocation data to design targeted phishing scams or acquire stolen identities.
On the other hand, authorities frequently employ location and search history data to assist in police investigations and have used it to obtain warrants for individuals believed to have been in a certain area until recently. Significant breaches of privacy may also deter individuals from seeking abortions, potentially jeopardizing their jobs and mental well-being in the future.
Advocating for privacy regulations
“If you truly sought to maintain complete control over your data, it would require constant attention,” remarks Matz-Cerf. “It’s akin to a task we’re not prepared for, as we lack full comprehension of the consequences and because no one has the time.”
In the previous year, to help ban the selling and trading of phone location data in their state, the ACLU of Massachusetts initiated a campaign called Your Location: It’s None of Their Business. This campaign supports the establishment of a bill that would necessitate companies to obtain consent prior to collecting or processing cellphone location data if enacted. While such legislation wouldn’t hinder access to essential services like Google Maps, it would prohibit companies from trading that data on the open market, states Crockford.
“This fundamentally is about creating basic safeguards to ensure that technology promotes human creativity, productivity, exploration, connection, communication, and does so without compromising our privacy, bodily autonomy, or our ability to govern our own lives,” asserts Crockford.
For individuals looking to better shield themselves from potential breaches of their own location data, Klosowski suggests disabling their ad ID, familiarizing themselves with their phone’s privacy settings, and learning more about which applications are accessing their data.
“The urge for privacy appears to be an inherent characteristic of the human mind,” Acquisti notes. “Even amidst these persistently advancing surveillance technologies, individuals will continue to strive to carve out private areas within this environment of oversight.”
Given the multitude of legal and illicit tracking methods, it can be quite challenging to prevent others from knowing your location entirely, but you can lessen your exposure to risks associated with tracking.
1. Scan for and eliminate spyware
Spyware embeds itself within your device and transmits your personal information — including your GPS location — to a third party. Because these are hard to detect, the most effective way to eliminate malware like this is by using antivirus software.
How to scan and remove spyware on Android:
- Download a trusted antivirus application. When selecting antivirus software, consider the brand’s reputation and customer feedback. For instance, Aura’s digital security app boasts an average rating of 4.6 from over 16,500 reviewers in the Apple App Store.
- Conduct a complete scan to identify and isolate any viruses. Numerous antivirus programs detect and quarantine viruses on your device. You can then assess these and remove them manually or let the antivirus software handle it automatically after a specified duration.
- Restart your device and perform a second scan. Spyware and other viruses may linger or reappear. Running a second scan will confirm whether this is occurring on your Android device.
Note: Apple does not permit third-party antivirus applications to scan iPhones and other iOS devices. You can still check for iPhone viruses by examining your battery settings for apps consuming significant resources, as well as reviewing your mobile data usage.
2. Delete suspicious apps
Your device can acquire dubious apps through various channels. They might be counterfeit apps found in unofficial app stores, concealed on websites, or bundled in malicious app packages.
You might have installed them by mistake, your device could be infected with malware, or hackers may have exploited a flaw in a legitimate application. Regardless of the cause, it’s crucial to eliminate suspicious apps as soon as you become aware of them.
How to remove suspicious apps:
- To remove apps on an iPhone: Hold down the problematic app from your Home Screen and select Remove App. You can then choose Delete App to completely erase it.
- To remove apps on an Android phone: In Google Play, tap your profile icon and select Manage apps & devices. Then, click on Manage, select the app, and press Uninstall.
3. Turn off location services on your device
Disabling your phone’s location settings prevents applications from accessing your GPS data. Although this action stops unwanted location tracking, it also means you cannot utilize features on your phone that depend on GPS, like maps, fitness apps, and augmented reality experiences.
How to turn off location services on your device:
- To disable location services on iPhone: Go to your phone’s Settings, select Privacy & Security, then click on Location Services. You can then decide which apps can access your GPS or turn it off completely.
- To disable location services on Android: Swipe down from the top of your phone screen and turn off Location to stop GPS sharing. You can also limit the location data you share by pressing and holding Location and selecting Location Services. From here, you can turn off Wi-Fi Scanning and Bluetooth.
4. Look for tracking devices
Devices designed for tracking can be attached to clothing, gadgets, and vehicles, relaying your location to a remote receiver covertly. If you suspect that someone is tracking you, it’s wise to conduct a few checks to ensure you aren’t carrying one of these devices.
How to look for tracking devices:
- Inspect your vehicle physically. Unless you have a specialized electronic sweeper, carefully examine your car for any unfamiliar devices. Check under the hood, beneath the car, inside the wheel wells, in the trunk, in the glove compartment, and at the diagnostic port.
- Use your iPhone for detection. With a tracker detection application, iPhones can detect nearby Bluetooth trackers. Your iPhone will also notify you of any nearby devices that are compatible with the “Find My” network. Additionally, AirTags will emit a sound if they are detected nearby for an extended period.
- Use your Android for detection. Android devices also provide alerts if they find a Bluetooth tracking device accompanying you. The notification will also include details on how to locate the device.
5. Review app permissions
The permissions granted to applications may allow for location sharing without your knowledge. These permissions could change with updates or be deliberately hidden or misrepresented in fraudulent apps. It’s important to review the permissions of your apps and make any necessary adjustments.
How to review app permissions:
- To review app permissions on iPhone: In Settings, tap on Privacy & Security, then Tracking. You can either disable Allow Apps to Request to Track entirely or select which apps have access to your data individually.
- To review app permissions on Android: Open your phone’s Settings, tap on Apps, then select any app you’d like to check and tap Permissions to restrict what each app is allowed to do. You can also remove permissions if the app is not in use.
6. Utilize anti-tracking software online
When you browse the internet, the websites you visit — along with third-party sites — collect data about you (including your location) to enhance their performance and create personalized content and advertisements. Anti-tracking software can help prevent data accumulation and maintain your privacy.
How to utilize anti-tracking software:
- Use iCloud Private Relay. iPhone users can enroll in iCloud+ [*], which encodes your browsing information and IP location, preventing websites from building a profile on you.
- Select “Do Not Track” on Android. Launch Chrome, tap on the More icon, and access Settings. Go to Privacy and security and click on Send a “Do Not Track” request. Enable this toggle.
7. Disable image auto-loading in your email client
Email images can conceal tracking pixels, links, and malware. By turning off the auto-load feature for images in your email client, you block the images and receive a notification instead, ensuring your privacy and safeguarding against potential threats.
How to disable image auto-loading:
- To disable auto-load in Gmail: Open the Gmail app, tap on the Menu icon, and select Settings. Under Data usage, choose Images and select Ask before displaying external images [*].
- To disable auto-load in Outlook: In Outlook, click on the File tab, select Options, then Trust Center. Under the Trust Center section, click on Trust Center Settings and check the box for Don’t download pictures automatically in HTML email messages or RSS items.
8. Hide your IP address with a VPN
Your IP address can tell others your general location, such as your city or ZIP Code. In combination with other personal information, this data can be quite revealing. With a virtual private network (VPN), you replace your IP address with one from your remote VPN server.
9. Keep your devices and software up to date
Over time, your devices and software may encounter bugs or vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. To counteract this, developers release security patches and updates that keep your devices protected and running smoothly. When you postpone or ignore these updates, you put your device — and potentially your personal information — at risk.
How to update devices and software:
- Update an iPhone. In your Settings, click on General and then Software Update. You can update your system here if it’s available [*]. For app updates, open the App Store and click on your profile. Here, you can manually update apps or select Update All.
- Update an Android phone. In Settings, click on System and then System update to see if there’s an update available [*]. For app updates, open the Google Play Store and click on your profile.
- Next, click on Settings, Network Preferences, and then Auto-update apps.
10. Perform a factory reset
In some cases, you may need to resort to a factory reset to stop someone from tracking your device and location. This will clear your personal information, apps, and settings from the device. It will disable your location services and may even replace your device and user ID.
How to perform a factory reset:
- Factory reset an iPhone: In your iPhone Settings, click on General and Transfer or Reset iPhone. You will then click on Erase All Content and Settings. You can also connect your phone to a Mac or Windows computer and use the Finder or iTunes to factory reset.
- Factory reset an Android phone (may vary by model): Click on Settings and then General Management. Then, select Reset and then Reset all settings.
NOTE: Make sure you have backed up your data before factory resetting your device as it will wipe all apps, data, and settings.
For hackers and stalkers, it’s never been easier to track someone’s location. That’s why it’s more important than ever to keep your devices clean of viruses and suspicious apps, and to be aware of the tracking possibilities around you.
While the safety precautions provided in this guide will help you protect your location, you might consider employing real professionals in identity protection to make sure you and your family members are safe.