Privacy is – although not everyone sees this – a great asset. Companies and governments throw in all kinds of things in order to follow you everywhere. Via WiFi and bluetooth, for example!
The vast majority of humanity is hardly aware that they are being ‘followed’ day and night, everywhere and always. The biggest aid in this is the old smartphone. If you walk into a store, chances are that your device will be registered thanks to an enabled bluetooth. The same bluetooth also makes it possible for shops, restaurants, etc. to show push messages on your device. This could be an advertisement or a welcome message. Sounds harmless, but it means your device has been identified.
Using micro beacons for navigation in, for example, a museum also reveals a lot about your interests. If collected data is also exchanged with other museums, a very nice profile of the telephone owner can be put together. The same goes for shopping patterns.
Wifi
Wifi is another clumsy factor when it comes to privacy. Suppose you visited Starbucks once and used the public WiFi network there. In addition to the risk that your internet traffic is monitored there (in order to build up customer profiles), this hotspot also ‘follows’ you to other Starbucks branches. If you come somewhere else, you will be automatically linked as soon as you walk in (or if you are unlucky walking outside). Bingo: Starbucks can mercilessly map your customer behavior – often set routes. iOS 14 has a trick ready for this, whereby a different mac address is given each time to the network that is connected to. In theory, that makes tracking a lot more difficult. But certainly not impossible, and certainly not if you have installed a home app from one of the visited companies. This automatically passes through a unique ID with every link.
Out with bluetooth and wifi outside the door
In short: if you really want to be able to move around the street frankly and freely, it is important to switch off both Bluetooth and WiFi as soon as you walk out the door. Only then can you be sure that your phone will not be tested everywhere in a shopping street or mall. It’s a matter of just turning off the relevant options on your phone. With Android it differs per device (and Android version), but you usually find the right options if you slide down from the top edge of the screen. Under iOS, you’ll find the options in the Settings app, under respectively Bluetooth and Wifi.
Be careful with promotional and discount apps
One last tip in conclusion. We mentioned all those home apps from all kinds of stores, restaurants and so on. For example, you can collect discounts and other niceties. Very nice, but also be sparing with that. Because of course: nothing for nothing. If you start such an app (or if it is active in the background), it will also send all kinds of things to the publishers of the app on the basis of location and device data. Even with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switched off, but via mobile internet or later when you are back home if necessary. If you are very careful with your privacy, only install such apps on, for example, an older device and only take it with you if you plan to use the services of one of the companies behind the installed apps. Also an option: just leave your phone at home, nice and quiet!
.