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- Mysilvershield
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What do app companies know about me?
Smartphones are ubiquitous. We use them for navigation, banking, shopping, social media, etc.
Some of these apps use your phone's GPS technology to make their functionality more useful to you (think yelp asking for your location so they can recommend restaurants in your area). For example, why would a flashlight app need to know your location? Regardless of whether or not an app is justified in accessing your location data, that data has to be sent somewhere - the app's company. So if you are wondering if my phone is being tracked? ' the answer is **yes** .
Your phone is tracked by dozens of companies and agencies and it's all completely legal because you gave them permission to take this data from you when you have downloaded their application and implicitly (or explicitly) accepted their terms of service. The truth is, your cell phone provider is probably selling your location data right now. Knowing this, it now makes much more sense that these companies could give away these apps for free. As the saying goes, "If you didn't pay for the product, you are the product".
Even though some companies give us valid reasons for cell phone tracking, such as counting our steps or providing navigation, these companies (and more importantly the advertisers they rely on to exist) now have personal details and even compromising on your life that you probably wish they didn't.
GPS, there is someone watching you virtually all the time
Even though some companies give us valid reasons for cell phone tracking, such as counting our steps or providing navigation, these companies (and more importantly the advertisers they rely on to exist) now have personal details and even compromising on your life that you would probably prefer they didn't have.
This goes for individuals, businesses and governments. In fact, the Strava app was responsible for enabling the discovery of secret US military bases. Details like where you're going, where you live, and what you eat shouldn't be available to the world at large.
This may bother you, so you may be wondering "how can i stop mobile carriers and other companies from selling my data and accessing my location?"
How to prevent your phone from being tracked?
An easy thing to do is turn off app-based location services on your phone.
This means you are telling your device not to share GPS data with any apps you have installed on your device. At the very least, make sure your GPS location isn't tracked when the app is closed, as there are very few instances where such a practice is justified.
Use privacy browsers and VPNs on your phone Use private browsing options in browsers like Firefox or, better yet, use a VPN on your phone when possible.
The Ultimate Foolproof Solution: Use a Faraday Bag
Can you really tell that your phone isn't transmitting GPS data when you turn it off? With specialized equipment you can determine this, but there is a much simpler solution. The best way to protect yourself from cell phone tracking is to invest in something called a Faraday bag, sometimes also called a cell phone pouch.
A Faraday bag is a cell phone signal blocking bag that prevents any type of radio waves that your cell phone is designed to receive from entering the bag, thus protecting your phone from tracking methods like those which I described above. Whenever you need your phone, you can take it out of the bag and use it normally.
A Faraday bag is made with conductive materials which are useful in blocking all external electric fields. Thus, when another electrical signal tries to enter the bag, it spreads evenly over it and does not penetrate inside.
In this way, hackers, thieves or government agencies attempting to track your phone or other device will not be able to access it due to the outer layer of the Faraday bag.
At Mysilvershield, we have been selling privacy-focused products for nearly 10 years now, and our legions of loyal, satisfied customers prove that we have the best Faraday bag on the market.
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