Here’s how to tell if your phone is listening to you — and how to stop it

Listen up.

Experts from NordVPN have outlined a four-step process that anyone can follow to find out whether their phone is listening in and using private discussions for targeted advertising, Daily Mail reported.

The first step in the test is to choose a topic that is unique and unrelated to anything you’ve previously searched for, shown interest in online or even mentioned near your phone — something that wouldn’t normally appear in your advertisements. 

To keep the test accurate, avoid discussing the topic out loud beforehand. Instead, jot it down on a piece of paper, or if you must talk about it, turn off your phone or leave it in another room.

Once you have your topic, the second step is to engage in several conversations about it near your phone over the next few days. 

These discussions should focus on your chosen subject, and it’s best to use specific phrases or keywords related to the topic that could potentially trigger search engines. 

Using key terms is likely to help you increase the chances of triggering a response from your phone’s software or related advertising systems. 

The third step is to continue using your phone as you normally would during the test and not interact with any content that could be linked to your test topic in any way.

Leave everything to the conversations and see if the device picks up on them through the microphone or other sensors.

Finally, after a few days of continuing your normal phone usage, observe any changes in your targeted ads. 

Pay close attention to the advertisements that pop up in your social media feeds, streaming services, or any other platforms connected to your device for ads that seem to be directly or indirectly related to your secret topic. 

If you notice ads relating to your topic appearing without any direct interaction on your phone, it could indicate that your phone has been listening in on your conversations.

NordVPN found that adverts started appearing on devices just a few days after researchers discussed a topic they had never searched.

This process can serve as a useful method for anyone who suspects that their smartphone may be spying on them for targeted advertising purposes.

“While we typically brush them off as innocent and necessary, they are a strong indicator that you are allowing your device too much access to your personal data and interests,” Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer at NordVPN, said.

Some people feel violated when they discover that their phones are listening to them and collecting data but using audio information to target advertisers isn’t illegal. Most people have granted permission to devices and apps to do this without realizing it — do you read the fine print?

To protect your privacy and keep your conversations to yourself, cyber security experts advise deactivating Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant and any other virtual assistants or apps with microphone access.