Are your out-loud conversations fueling ads pushed to your devices?

 4 ways to protect your privacy from intrusive ads

Your smartphone is probably always listening to you. It's required for voice-recognition assistants like Siri, Bixby, or Alexa to work. But is your device listening to your conversations and using them to target you with personalized ads?

While there's no definitive proof that this is happening, some experts suggest that it's possible for some apps to access your device's microphone and record snippets of your conversations without your consent. This is Mark's concern and why he wrote to us asking,

"2 days ago I was discussing an underwater camera, later that day my family member received an invoice for an underwater camera on PayPal. I had my cell phone with me during the original discussion. Could hackers or AI "Listening to the conversation? And with this information, how do they know how to challan a family member?" - Mark

Well, Mark, audio surveillance is very real and can be used for targeted advertising. This could be a serious breach of your privacy and security, and you may want to take some steps to prevent it. What can you do to make sure no one is listening to your conversations?

1) Turning off your voice-recognition assistant

Voice-recognition assistants like Siri, Bixby, and Alexa constantly listen for reason phrases if you need them. For example, when it comes to Siri, Apple says it runs a speech recognizer at all times. Once your iPhone hears "Hey Siri," it immediately springs into action.

But if you're uncomfortable with your smartphone listening to you, it just takes a few steps to turn off your voice-recognition assistant:

how to turn off siri

• go to Settings
• Click on 'Siri & Search'
• Turn off the following options: Listen for "Siri" or "Hey Siri," press the side button for Siri, and allow Siri when locked.

how to turn off google assistant

• go to Settings
• select google
• Click on Account Services
• Click on Search, Assistant & Voice
• select voice
• Select Voice Match
• Turn off 'Hey Google'

2) Turning off your microphone

Voice-recognition assistants aren't the only apps that can have a listening feature. If you've given your microphone privileges to an app, it can listen, too. Turning off your voice-recognition assistant will not stop other apps that use your microphone. Here's how to turn off your microphone:

How to stop your iOS device from listening to you

• Click on Settings
• Scroll down to any application (Facebook, Snapchat, etc.) and click on it
• turn off microphone option

Settings may vary depending on the manufacturer of your Android phone

• go to Settings
• Click on Apps
• Scroll down to any application (Facebook, Snapchat, etc.)
• Click Permissions

• click on microphone
• Click the circle next to Don't allow

3) Get good antivirus software

One way to protect yourself from this potential threat is to use reliable antivirus software on your device. Antivirus software can scan your device for any malicious apps that may be accessing your microphone or other sensitive data, and block them from doing so. Having antivirus software on your device will also ensure that you are prevented from clicking on any potentially malicious links that could install malware on your device, thereby giving hackers access to your personal information.

Additionally, antivirus software can alert you to any suspicious activity on your device, and help you remove any unwanted or harmful apps. By using antivirus software, you can ensure that your device is not being monitored by hackers and that your personal information is not being used to promote targeted advertisements that may actually be phishing attempts. Are. Find my reviews of the best antivirus protection here.

4) Use VPN

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a service that creates a secure and encrypted connection between your device and a server on the Internet. By using a VPN, you can hide your IP address and location from the websites and apps you use, and prevent them from tracking your online activity or personal information, thereby providing targeted advertising based on that fact. The chances of receiving are reduced given that there is no direct link between your device and the website or app you are accessing. Check out my expert reviews of the best VPNs to browse the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.

Kurt's highlights

Although hackers potentially have the ability to listen in on your conversations, there is no evidence of this happening on a large scale. However, staying safe on the Internet is all about minimizing risk. You should still be proactive about your Internet security even if there hasn't been an attack or hack yet.

Is the microphone turned off on your device? Do you use other methods to protect yourself from hackers trying to listen in on your conversations? Let us know by writing here

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report newsletter

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.

Answers to the most frequently asked CyberGuy questions:

• What's the best way to protect your Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android devices from being hacked?
• What's the best way to stay private, secure, and anonymous while browsing the web?
• How do I get rid of robocalls with apps and data-deleting services?

Ideas for using those holiday gift cards:

• best gifts for women
• best gifts for men
• 22 Best Gifts for Kids