Your phone secretly connects to these sites without your knowledge!

In today’s digital age, it’s no secret that phones are constantly collecting data. What you may not realize is that your phone is tracking you even when in standby mode and not in active use. 

Phones are constantly sending data to various companies, including information about your location, browsing history, and even personal contacts. So why is your phone tracking you? And more importantly, what can you do to stop it?

Why is my phone tracking me?

There are a few reasons why your phone might be tracking you.

• To provide you with better services: Some apps track your location to provide you with relevant information, such as traffic updates or restaurant recommendations.
• To serve you targeted ads: Advertisers use your data to show you ads that are more likely to be of interest to you.
• To collect data for research: Some companies collect data on user behavior to improve their products and services.

How much data do phones track and send?

By using a tool called Pi-hole, we can monitor the connections from a phone and see how much data it is sending when not in active use. Pi-hole is a DNS sinkhole that blocks ads and trackers. 

To discover how much information is being tracked and sent, a phone was factory reset and set up without logging into any accounts or connecting to a mobile network. It was then connected to Pi-hole. 

Even though the phone was not in use, it still made connections to various domains, including ones owned by Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Installing a few popular apps like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Amazon increased the number of connections. Logging in to those apps increased the connections even further. 

How to stop your phone from tracking you: 

There are a few things you can do to stop your phone from tracking you.

• Disable location services: You can disable location services for individual apps or for your entire phone.
• Use a VPN: A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address, making it more difficult for companies to track you.
• Install a privacy-focused browser: Some browsers, such as Brave and DuckDuckGo, are designed to protect your privacy.
• Be mindful of the apps you install: Some apps are more likely to track you than others. Before you install an app, research its privacy policy.

So in summary 

Phones are powerful and useful tools that can and do track your data. Even when not in use, a phone can still track and send data and connect to domains owned by major companies. Installing and logging into apps further increases the amount of connections being made. By taking some simple steps to protect your privacy, you can help to keep your data safe from prying eyes. 

Now please make sure you disable this feature in your web browser – it is sending your personal information without your knowledge!