Microphone privacy is one of modern cybersecurity’s most essential yet overlooked topics. Since the invention of the smartphone, the topic of internet privacy has changed a lot. Internet privacy was once limited to what happened while seated at a computer desk. Today, our phones go with us everywhere, from meetings at work to intimate conversations with friends and family members.And unless you stop phone listening through settings changes and physical protections, it might become your biggest surveillance source yet.
Microphone privacy deals with the data tracking that takes place as your phone passively listens to you. The same microphone you use to record voice memos, film videos, or speak to your family members can also be used by phone companies, app developers, and hackers to listen to conversations.
As you might imagine, this has vast privacy ramifications for anyone with a smartphone. In this article, we’ll delve into the basics of microphone privacy, guiding you through turning off microphone listening on Android and iPhone while sharing some best practices for staying secure in the modern world.
Are they listening? An introduction to microphone privacy
Sometimes, it can feel like smartphones read your mind. You talk to a friend about craving a meal or buying a new car. The next day, you’re getting ads online for both of those things. Welcome to the age of data-powered advertising.
When most of us think about data privacy, we think about what happens when we’re actively using a device: searching the internet, playing games, and sending messages.
But what about passive data collection? Most of us know that smartphones can track your location behind the scenes. But smartphones and the individual apps you install on them can also listen to your conversations.
See also: Facebook is listening, but not through your microphone
Permissioned vs. permissionless listening
Not all microphone listening is equal. Some microphone listening is relatively harmless and can be disabled from your device. Other listening is more sneaky and potentially harmful. We can roughly divide these types into two categories: permissioned and permissionless listening.
Understanding the distinction between permissioned and permissionless listening is crucial. Permissioned listening occurs when you grant an app or service access to your microphone for specific purposes, like voice commands or recording audio messages. This is typically regulated through the permissions systems on your device, and you have control over which apps can access your microphone.
On the other hand, permissionless listening is when an app or entity gains access to your microphone without your explicit consent. This type of listening raises significant privacy concerns and is often associated with unethical practices or cyber threats.
There are essentially three categories of phone listening that you should be aware of:
- Advertising: Companies often use microphone access to gather audio data, allowing them to target users with tailored ads. This can range from hearing keywords in your conversations to displaying relevant ads.
- Product improvements: Some apps and services collect audio data to improve their products or services. While this may be done with more ethical intentions, the line between genuine product enhancement and privacy invasion can blur.
- Hacking: The most concerning category involves malicious actors who exploit your device’s microphone for unauthorized surveillance or hacking. This can have serious consequences, such as data theft, identity fraud, or even personal safety risks.
For permissioned listening, you maintain at least some control over your device’s microphone. In the following sections, we’ll show you how to switch microphone listening on and off.
How to stop phone listening on Android
Here’s how to check (and turn on and off) the listening permissions on Android:
- Open Settings
- Tap Security & privacy
- Open the Privacy dropdown menu
- From the dropdown, select Privacy controls
- Toggle the Microphone access switch to turn permission on or off
How to stop phone listening on iPhone
If you’re an iPhone user, ensuring microphone privacy is equally important. Here’s how to check permissions on iOS devices:
- Open Settings
- Tap Privacy & Security
- Choose Microphone
- From the Permissions screen, you can manage the microphone permissions for each app by toggling the switch on or off.
The role of voice assistants
No conversation about microphone privacy would be complete without mentioning voice assistants.
Voice assistants like Siri, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Alexa play a central role in microphone privacy. These assistants rely on microphone access to respond to voice commands and provide assistance. While convenient, they can also raise privacy concerns.
To manage their permissions effectively:
- Review and adjust voice assistant settings in your device’s settings menu
- Disable voice assistant features when not in use.
- Consider using physical mute buttons, microphone blockers, or switches on smart speakers to ensure no unintended listening occurs.
Is microphone recording legal?
Laws around data privacy vary by region and industry. As a general rule, data privacy laws can be summarized like this: microphone listening is often legal, but increasingly, the “listener” must receive consent from the device user. Now, whether this consent is explicit and clear or slipped in among other permission requests is where the gray area lives.
Microphone privacy is governed by various laws and regulations worldwide, aiming to safeguard your privacy concerning data collection and usage. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most well-known framework, which mandates informed consent for audio data collection.
The closest legal framework in the United States is the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which offers residents control over personal information—including audio recordings.
Businesses with customers in these respective geographies must abide by these laws when handling consumer data, even if they don’t operate from them.
Minimize online tracking with a VPN
Throughout this article, we’ve focused on the smartphone and voice assistant sides of online privacy. But listening in isn’t the only way companies and hackers track your data. They can also do it via your internet connection and IP address.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to limit those invasions of data privacy: with a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN is a tool you can download to your device to encrypt all your online traffic. It’s an easy way to bolster your security without changing your internet use.
