Most people think of website cookies when you mention digital tracking. But website cookies are the least of your problems when it comes to mobile phones. Even apps from the App store can send intimate details of your private life to people who sell the information for profit.
Are you one of the 300 million iOS users whose favorite app has been stealing data and committing ad fraud?
Every mobile phone user can prevent at least some ubiquitous snooping and tracking on mobile phones. Read this quick guide to limit digital tracking and increase privacy on your iPhone.
Built-in Snoopware on iOS
It can take months to create a new mobile phone app. That’s why developers use libraries of pre-written tools called SDKs. SDK stands for software development kit (or devkit). SDKs save developers from having to do every tedious bit of coding themselves.
Mobile apps, therefore, contain pre-built code from external sources. Often, that code enables third parties to track activities on your device. It may not be intentionally malicious, but the big problem here is that even developers misunderstand the privacy implications of plugging in some of that code.
Unfortunately, some crooked developers are fully aware of these ‘extra’ snooping capabilities. They may – or may not – inform their client or app owner. Or they may keep the information to themselves and profit from it on the backend.
The app owner, in turn, could be either fully aware or misinformed about the true capabilities of the app. They may – or may not – decide to profit from selling the data while misinforming or misleading users.
Both developers and app owners may be genuinely ignorant about their apps’ snooping or malicious capabilities. But sometimes, they do know and ruthlessly make money from it.
App stores cannot check each app as intensively as they should. So apps with built-in spying and snooping functions continue to slip through the cracks.
At best, these apps harvest private information to sell to marketers. At worst, they work as malicious spyware that annihilates your privacy and steals your money. There have been numerous instances of viruses disguised as free malware removal tools or free VPNs.
What info do they collect, and what do they do with it?
Both mobile apps and web browsers collect information. That means, at minimum, your device ID, advertising identifier, name, and email address. Third-party cookies and web trackers on the internet also collect data about your interests, active times, political views, household arrangements, IP address and location, login credentials, and device information. This information gets sold to third-party companies.
But… I read the privacy statement, and it seemed OK
Here’s the problem. Even if a website declares that it will not sell you data, it can still give away, ‘make available,’ or trade data via complex quid pro quo maneuvers? Despite assurances, your data almost invariably end up in the hands of ruthless marketers who do anything to sell stuff to you.
No worries – I delete my cookies!
Deleting cookies does not stop tracking. It clears the URLs you visited and logs you out of websites, but most websites can still recreate your cookies after you’ve deleted them. And cookies aren’t the only way online services recognize you.
Browser fingerprinting is a common practice for websites. They extract info about your device, operating system, screen resolution, browser type, and even the browser extensions you use. Websites use it all to identify returning visitors even without using cookies.
Not to mention your IP address which identifies your device on the internet and reveals your approximate location.
To block or not to block – that is the question
The browser’s incognito mode gives users a false sense of privacy. It deletes browser cookies after you close the tab, but it does not block trackers. You need a private browser, special add-ons, and/or a VPN. And as for the built-in tracking in your apps – it’s impossible to escape unscathed.
3 ways to better privacy on your iPhone
There are ways to make your iPhone more private, but you must proactively take each of the steps to secure your data and your phone.
Use a VPN
Using a premium VPN is the best way to increase your privacy on any device. It hides your IP address, shields your location, and encrypts your connection to keep it private from prying eyes.
Some VPNs aim to do even more. NordVPN, thanks to the extra Threat Protection feature, also blocks trackers, hides ads, and prevents you from visiting sites that spread malware.
On the other hand, free VPNs are a true menace to your privacy. They make money by tracking your activities and selling your data. That’s why it’s not a good idea to experiment with free software, and it’s crucial to choose reliable providers, such as NordVPN.
Use the Apple privacy features
Apple has added some powerful privacy features with iOS 15. But if you don’t meticulously change your data privacy settings, the new features won’t do a thing for your privacy.
There is no set and forget setting – there are too many instances where apps must access your data. That’s because you have separate user agreements with each app you use on the Apple platform, e.g., Facebook.
2.1. How to limit Safari’s ad tracking from Safari on your iPhone
Open Settings > Safari. Scroll down and toggle off ‘Block All Cookies.’ Next, turn on ‘Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.’ That will prevent trackers from following you when you switch between different sites.
2.2. How to limit re-installation of trackers
Settings > General. Toggle off ‘Background App Refresh.’ That will prevent sites and apps from refreshing your data and re-installing their trackers after you’ve switched them off.
2.3. How to limit Apple Advertising trackers
Settings > Privacy > Apple Advertising. Toggle off the ‘Personalized Ads’ option. You’ll still see ads on the platform, but they won’t be personalized.
2.4. How to limit tracking by other Apps
Settings > Privacy > Tracking (near the top). Toggle off ‘Allow Apps to Track.’ However, be aware that apps like Google, Facebook, and other account-based sites can still track your data as part of your user agreement for their platforms.
2.5. The case-by-case limiting of tracking by your Apps
If you don’t want to switch off all app tracking, you can disable tracking for apps you’ve previously allowed to track you.
Settings > Privacy > Tracking (near the top). You’ll see a list of apps that have asked permission to track you. If an app icon is gray, tracking is off. You can toggle it on – the icon color will change to green.
Block location requests
Location tracking can have the most significant impact on your privacy. Yes, you do need location tracking for a service like GPS navigation, but there is no reason for a weather app to request access to your photos, files, or contact list.
Decline permission, stop the installation, and leave a comment in the App store.
Configure location requests from Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Use the ‘While Using’ option rather than ‘Always’ to ensure that the app can only use your location when needed and not in the background without your knowledge.
Next, fine-tune these settings:
- Switch apps you don’t want using your location to ‘Never.’
- Enable the Status Bar icon for location services. You’ll be able to tell whether you’re doing something that needs your location when you see the icon.
- Take note of icons that change color. A solid purple icon means an app has used your location recently while a gray icon means an app has used your location in the last 24 hours. A hollow purple icon means that an app is using geofencing. If you spot an anomaly, disable that app immediately and leave a review in the app store.
Protect your privacy proactively
Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by Apple’s reputation for caring about the privacy of its users. They can only give you the tools. If you don’t get a VPN or change your settings, you will remain the sitting duck that lays the golden eggs for the data mining industry.