How much do companies know about our online and offline activities? Is anything truly private when our phones, smart speakers, and voice assistants are always present? And is all the concern about online privacy really necessary?

In today’s digital age, user privacy on the internet has become one of the key issues. The question often arises – do social media platforms actually eavesdrop on us, or are their algorithms simply so advanced that they know what we want before we even realise it ourselves? While the idea of our smartphones secretly listening to us is intriguing, the reality is a bit different – social media platforms need to listen when they already have enough data about us.

Companies know an astonishing amount about both our digital and even physical activities. Through cookies, location tracking, search analysis, social media interactions, and the apps we use, tech companies collect vast amounts of data, which they then use for personalised ads and the creation of complex user profiles. Large tech companies like Google, TikTok, Meta, Amazon, and others employ advanced methods to gather user data, which comes from several key sources:

1. User interactions – Everything we do on social media, from likes and comments to searches and the time spent viewing specific content, is used to profile our interests.
2. Device data – Apps can access information about our devices, such as location, IP address, language settings, and network data.
3. Tracking beyond apps – Technologies like cookies and pixel tracking allow platforms to monitor user activity beyond the app itself, on other websites and applications.
4. Speech and image recognition – While there is no solid evidence that social media platforms actively listen to conversations, algorithms can recognise keywords in search queries and messages, while image recognition allows for additional content targeting.
5. Analysis of social connections – Algorithms analyse who we communicate with and what common interests we share with our contacts.

Although many users claim to have seen ads for products they’ve only talked about, cybersecurity experts and the companies developing these platforms deny the existence of systematic eavesdropping. Instead, the explanation lies in sophisticated machine learning algorithms that predict interests based on previous interactions. Recent research (Statista, 2023) suggests that users are more likely to forget past searches or subconsciously notice content that previously caught their attention, creating the illusion of ‘eavesdropping’.

Regardless of whether social media platforms actively listen to us, it is evident that a large amount of data about us is being collected, making concerns about online privacy necessary and justified. Here are some ways to better protect your privacy:

1. Check your privacy settings – Most social media platforms offer options to limit data sharing. Review and disable access to unnecessary information.
2. Use privacy-focused browsers and extensions – DuckDuckGo and Brave are examples of browsers that do not track users, while extensions like uBlock Origin block tracking scripts.
3. Regularly delete cookies and cache – This can reduce the amount of data collected about your online habits.
4. Disable microphone access for apps – If you suspect an app is eavesdropping, check your permission settings and disable unnecessary microphone access.
5. Be aware of your digital footprint – Be mindful of what you share, like, and search online, as all this data leaves a trace that can be used for targeted advertising.

In conclusion, while the idea of social media platforms eavesdropping on us may seem unsettling, the reality is that they already have sophisticated tools to analyse our behaviour without needing to listen directly. The key thing users can do is take control of their digital footprint, use privacy protection tools, and be aware of how their data is used.

In an era of increasing digitalisation, education on privacy protection is becoming essential. The more we understand how technology works, the better we can protect our data and recognise the manipulative practices of major tech companies. To do so, you can learn through the DigiCity game and follow the updates of our resources. So stay tuned!

References:

1. Image created by OPENS Marketing Team with ChatGPT
2. Calm Pages. (2024). Smart but dangerous: Are our phones betraying our privacy? https://shorturl.at/8l5OG
3. Hunter, T. (2021). Ask Help Desk: No, your phone isn’t listening to your conversations. Seriously. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/12/phone-audio-targeting-privacy/
4. Hernandez Acosta, L., & Reinhardt, D. (2022). A survey on privacy issues and solutions for voice-controlled digital assistants. Computer Security and Privacy, University of Göttingen
5. Chalhoub, G. (2024). “Alexa, are you spying on me?” Exploring the effect of user experience on the security and privacy of smart speaker users. University College London. ResearchGate.