Many smartphone users can agree that one of the scariest scenarios in this digital world is someone with malicious intent having access to your valuable information, like your location.
These days, modern phones like iPhones and Androids have a lot of great safety features built in to protect you. The same goes for apps, which is expected, as people can spend hours on apps a day. Despite most apps being fairly safe, there are some out there that are popular on all smartphones, and actually end up tracking your location more than you think. While that might not sound like an issue, if the wrong person gets hold of your phone or your passwords to these apps, it can be. Read more about two smartphone apps that track your location below.
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1. Microsoft Teams
Many people rely heavily on Microsoft Teams to get through their workday, using it to communicate with co-workers, stay up to date on tasks, etc. Because it's so often used while sitting down in an office or at home, location isn't often associated with it. However, cybersecurity pros want to point out the safety risks.
"People either don't realize or forget that every time Teams connects to the internet, it leaves location breadcrumbs," explains cybersafety pro Adam Pilton. "The app collects IP address data tied to Wi-Fi access points and logs connection patterns. Security systems within Teams, like "impossible travel" detection (which flags if you're in England one moment and North America the next), actually require collecting detailed movement data to function."
"So, whether it's a genuine concern for people or not, your workplace communication app is silently documenting your location history, and because it's a "work app," most of us don't question the permissions we've granted it, he continued.
2. Instagram
Instagram might seem like a straightforward app that's 'too popular' to do any harm to you or put your data, like your location, at risk. However, think again. As it turns out, Instagram is keeping more tabs on your location than you'd expect. "Instagram collects location data even when you think you've turned it off," adds cybersecurity expert Chris Nyhuis.
"Through Wi-Fi scanning, Bluetooth being on, and your IP address, Instagram can figure out where you are with amazing precision, and it uses that data to build an advertising profile tied directly to where you are. This is why you can walk into a store and almost immediately start seeing ads for that brand in your feed because the retailer is using Meta's location-targeting tools to reach people nearby, and your phone is quietly telling Instagram exactly where you are."
"Most users have no idea that simply having the app installed gives Meta a continuous track of their daily movements, and toggling off 'Location Services' in the app only addresses one of several ways it's piecing together where you go," he added.
