Many people are uncomfortable seeing ads for products they've been talking about with friends and family, and that's no accident. While social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram deny they are listening to their users, new research from NordVPN suggests that companies are using a sneaky data monitoring method called ultrasonic tracking between devices.
According to NordVPN, companies use ultrasonic “audio beacons” that cannot be heard by the human ear to link every device you own and track their behavior and location. These high-pitched signals can be hidden in TV ads or online videos, allowing apps to use the device's microphone to pick them up and then display personalized ads.
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While social platforms deny they are spying on their users, some advertisers certainly are, according to NordVPN. The impact of this method of tracking is widespread, with many Brazilians claiming to have seen advertisements for something shortly after talking about it or watching it on TV, without ever looking it up online.
To reduce the chance of your smartphone picking up ultrasonic beacons, NordVPN advises restricting unnecessary permissions granted to apps on your device. To change permissions, just go to the phone's Settings menu and look for the “Privacy” option. There you can see which apps have access to the microphone and limit it when necessary.
While it's impossible to stop ultrasonic beacons from working, doing so can reduce the risk of your devices picking up unwanted signals.