Big Tech is listening and tracking your voice recordings. How to make it stop!
Most of what you type, say, search and buy is being tracked in one way or another. Big Tech gives us great free products, and the price is our privacy. Even your TV habits are packaged up and sold to advertisers. Here’s how to stop your TV from spying on you.
Some snooping is even more invasive. Worried someone is spying on your phone? Check this list of red flags.
You can fight back. You can buy a mic blocker for around $10. It slides into your headphone port to stop recording. For an even cheaper DIY option, buy the most inexpensive pair of headphones and snip them off.
Here’s how to limit what you’re handing over to Big Tech.
Amazon
Whenever I write that your Echo device is always listening, Amazon assures me it’s only listening for the “wake word.” I don’t see the difference here. Either way, if you have an Echo, there’s not much point in keeping it around if you turn off the microphone.
The real issue is Amazon employees listening to your recordings. Here’s how to stop that:
- Open the Alexa app on your phone, then tap the More menu button.
- Select Settings > Alexa Privacy.
- Choose Manage Your Alexa Data.
- Turn off the toggles next to “Help improve Alexa” and “Use messages to improve transcriptions.”
In certain situations, you can turn the Echo’s mic off for extra privacy. Press the microphone’s off/on button at the top of the device. Whenever this button is red, the mic is off. To reactivate it, press the button again, and it will turn blue.
Ugh, come on, Alexa. Read our list of the most annoying Echo issues solved.
Your cell phone
Do you rely on Siri to get things done for you? You might not realize how much is being sent back to Apple’s servers.
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