10/08/2024
Mobile phones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives, but with their many advantages also come significant disadvantages.
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One of the most concerning is that your cell phone can record your conversations without your knowledge and use them to target you with personalized ads.
How and why do our phones record?
Modern mobile phones, especially those with the Android operating system, can listen and record conversations through the microphone.
According to Peter Henway, senior security consultant at cybersecurity firm Asterix, these audio clips are often sent to apps like Facebook without any official information about what triggers the recordings. That is what Nyheder24 writes.
Henway explains: “Whether it's time or location — based on the use of certain features, the apps use microphone permissions and take the information periodically.
All the internal structures of the applications send this information in encrypted form, so it is very difficult to discover the exact trigger."
How to turn off the phone's microphone
To prevent your phone from recording conversations, it is important to know how to mute the microphone.
Many apps ask for permission to access the microphone, and users often agree without fully understanding the consequences.
Steps to mute the microphone on an Android phone:
Open the Google app:
Go to the Google app on your phone.
Go to your profile:
Tap your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen.
Log in to “Google account”:
Select “Google Account” option.
Navigate to "Data and Privacy":
In the "Data and privacy" section, find "Web and app activity".
Disable "Include voice and audio activity":
Disable this option to prevent recording of voice and audio activity.
Stop saving activities:
Press "Stop saving" and confirm the action by pressing "Understood".
These settings will help maintain privacy and prevent unauthorized recording of conversations. It's also important to be aware of the permissions you give apps and periodically review your privacy settings.
By following these steps, you can take control of your privacy and ensure that your conversations remain private.