I think iPhone apps are secretly listening to your conversations – simple setting tweak can stop it, TikTok star claims
A TIKTOK star says he thinks iPhone apps are secretly listening to your conversations and has shared tips to try stop it.
Milad, who runs a tech tips and tricks account, took to social media to share simple setting tweaks that he claims will help with privacy.
In a TikTok video, shared to Milad’s account letsdodiz, he explained why he thinks your iPhone apps are listening to you.
The star says: “If you’re craving sushi next thing you know there’s an ad for sushi popping up for you.
“Well there’s a solution for that.”
Milad broke down four simple changes iPhone users could undertake.
The first involves the phone’s microphone – and checking which apps have access to it.
In the clip he says: “Go to your settings, click on privacy and security, and click on microphone.”
Pointing at his screen, he says: “These are the apps that have access to your microphone so if you think they don’t need it, turn them off.”
Milad then reveals that in the same settings section, you can ask apps not to track you.
He also explains how to turn Apple advertising off, so “you will not see any advertisement from Apple”.
And lastly, he shows how to stop cross-site tracking.
Milad says: “Go on your Safari and go all the way down, and here you’re going to turn on prevent cross-site tracking and hide IP address.
“Make sure you select trackers and website.”
While Milad is basing his tips off his own beliefs, if you are worried about cybersecurity, it’s worth checking over your microphone and tracking settings.
Tech experts have also previously commented on theories and fears like Milad’s.
Dr Peter Henway, a senior security consultant for cyber-security firm Asterix, told The Sun: “Our phones are meant to only record when we issue the right trigger word, like ‘Hey Siri’ or ‘Okay Google’, but because it needs to listen for these commands, it always has an ear open.”
I’m not surprised that people are receiving targeted ads based on their conversations – it’s happened to me too.
Edward Whittingham
And cyber expert and DefenceWorks founder Edward Whittingham shared a similar view.
He said: “I’m not surprised that people are receiving targeted ads based on their conversations – it’s happened to me too.
“There’s no question as to whether or not our phones can listen to us, but the million-dollar question is are they? The answer – we don’t know.
“Imagine how much more valuable advertising is to a company selling a product when they know, with a fair amount of accuracy, that you’re actively interested in that product?”
Edwards said that there lies “the incentive and motivation for listening to our conversations”.
He continued: “There are some arguments to say that seeing these ads could be based around a probability phenomenon – you might think that you are being listened to because the adverts are so accurate, but we have to also remember the amount of data that these organisations hold about us that can help them.”
It might sound far-fetched, but Edward recommends trying out the experiment at home for yourself.
He says: “If readers aren’t sure, I’d encourage them to try it for themselves – pick an obscure topic that you’ve never searched for you on your device and start talking about it in earshot of your phone.”