1. Location Services
Your phone’s GPS tracks your whereabouts in real time, often noting how long you stay in a particular place. Over time, this can reveal patterns in your movement—making it easy for companies and third parties to understand your habits and target you accordingly.
How to Turn It Off:
- iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Toggle off Location Services, or manage individual app permissions. You can also turn off Significant Locations under System Services.
- Android: Go to Settings > Location > App Permissions to disable location tracking for specific apps or turn off Use Location altogether.
2. App Permissions
Many apps request access to contacts, photos, microphone, and camera, allowing them to gather more data than necessary, sometimes tracking you even when the app isn’t actively in use.
How to Turn It Off:
- iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security. Review categories like Camera, Microphone, and Contacts to manage app permissions.
- Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Permissions, and review which apps can access sensitive data.
3. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connections
Your phone is constantly scanning for nearby Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices, which can let third parties track your location based on networks you connect to.
How to Turn It Off:
- iPhone: Swipe down from the screen’s top-right corner to turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. For better control, go to Settings > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth to disable scanning.
- Android: Go to Settings > Location > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Scanning and disable both options.
4. Browsing Activity
Your search history and the websites you visit create a digital profile, showing what interests you. This information is used to serve ads and sometimes sold to third parties, which can feel invasive.
How to Turn It Off:
- iPhone & Android: Use incognito or private browsing mode for safer browsing. In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and turn off Web & App Activity, then clear your browsing history and cookies.
5. Ad Tracking
Both Apple and Android assign an advertising ID to your phone, which companies use to track your behavior across apps. While turning it off won’t eliminate ads, it can limit personalization.
How to Turn It Off:
- iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking to toggle off Allow Apps to Request to Track. You can also go to Apple Advertising to disable personalized ads.
- Android: Go to Settings > Privacy > Ads, then toggle on Opt Out of Ads Personalization.
6. Social Media & Search Engine Tracking
Social media and search engines like Facebook, Instagram, and Google use tracking to monitor online behavior, building profiles for advertising. While these can be partially managed, these platforms are known for aggressive data collection.
How to Turn It Off:
- Social Media: Go to each platform’s settings (e.g., Facebook > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Shortcuts) to adjust ad and data-sharing preferences.
- Google: Head to Google Account > Data & Privacy > Web & App Activity to control tracking, and adjust Ad Settings to limit ad targeting.
Why Taking Action Matters for Healthcare Providers
Healthcare data is a prime target for cybercriminals, and a single breach could lead to costly fines, reputational harm, and potential HIPAA violations. While individual phone tracking may seem minor, it’s part of a bigger security landscape that can impact both personal and business data.
As a healthcare provider, taking simple steps to control phone tracking is not only beneficial for your personal privacy but also critical for your business’s security. Reducing your exposure to data leaks and enhancing your privacy settings creates an extra layer of defense against cyberattacks and helps maintain compliance with industry standards.
Secure Your Business with a FREE Security Risk Assessment
If you’re concerned about your business’s data security, a proactive approach is essential. Schedule a FREE Security Risk Assessment with our Lexington-based IT support team today. We’ll analyze your network, identify vulnerabilities, and create a comprehensive security plan tailored to meet your HIPAA compliance needs. Reach out at 859-200-0428 or click here to get started.
For healthcare organizations in Lexington, protecting data privacy isn’t optional—it’s a responsibility. Don’t wait until a security issue arises. Take action now to safeguard your business, your patients, and your reputation.