Privacy is the New Luxury: Are Our Smartphones Listening to Us?

Recently, the topic of privacy has become a popular discussion again. Users are increasingly asking: who is really tracking us through our smartphones, computers, and other devices? Major corporations have a nearly invisible presence in our lives, collecting vast amounts of data about us. This information has become so valuable that controlling one’s privacy is now viewed as a new luxury.

One of the most popular conspiracy theories is the idea that our phones are constantly eavesdropping on us. When someone talks about something with friends and then suddenly sees ads for that exact product or service, suspicions grow stronger. But are our phones really functioning as listening devices?

In reality, smartphone microphones are not active all the time. If they were running 24/7, it would require enormous technical resources to process and store such data. Additionally, it would violate privacy laws in many countries. However, constant listening isn’t necessary—modern devices already gather enough data to make accurate predictions about our preferences.

Imagine you visited an animal shelter, went to a pet store, and then visited your sister. Your phone, using location data or nearby Wi-Fi networks, can create "profiles" based on your actions:

• Visited an animal shelter — your phone assumes you are likely considering getting a pet.
• Spent more than 35 minutes at the shelter — the phone presumes you already have a pet and begins showing ads for pet products.
• Visited a pet store — purchasing pet products confirms ownership, prompting the system to display ads for relevant items.
• Visited your sister — she might also start seeing ads for animal shelters, as systems might assume you discussed this topic.

This data doesn’t require listening—smartphones collect enough information through location services, search queries, and app interactions.

With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), we are encountering a new level of data analysis. AI can not only collect information about us but also predict (and anticipate) our actions and preferences. For example, algorithms analyzing our search queries and online behavior may suggest products or services we haven’t even realized we want yet.

These technologies are becoming so powerful that they start shaping our choices. We see what we want before we even realize our needs. The internet knows more about us than we know about ourselves.

Despite the obvious concerns, data collection also has several benefits, making our interaction with technology more convenient:

1. Personalized Experience. Companies can tailor content and offers to a user’s specific interests. Instead of wasting time on irrelevant ads or content, users receive only what is genuinely useful to them.
2. Service Improvement. Companies use data to analyze user behavior and improve their services. This allows them to identify weaknesses in their products and fix them promptly.
3. Predictive Analytics. By analyzing data, companies can predict which products or services consumers might need in the future, saving users the effort of searching for what they want—systems will suggest them at the right moment.
4. Public Safety. Big data helps optimize urban management. For example, traffic analysis can help avoid congestion, while tracking human activity can improve response times to emergencies.
5. Medical Advancements. Modern technologies allow the collection of health data through fitness trackers and mobile apps, helping develop personalized treatment programs.
6. Cost Optimization. Data analysis helps users save money by offering discounts on products they have previously searched for or purchased.

Each year, we become more aware of how vulnerable we are in the digital world. Every step we take and every action we perform can be tracked and analyzed. This leads to privacy, once taken for granted, now being seen as a luxury. Those who can control their data and manage what is known about them are perceived as "privileged."

A simple way to protect yourself is to turn off ad tracking and personalized ads, or enable automatic history deletion in your Google account. This won’t solve all privacy issues but will significantly reduce the amount of data collected about you.

Phones and other smart devices are not eavesdropping on us directly, but they gather enough data to make predictions about our actions and preferences. It’s time to accept that big companies already know more about us than we can imagine. They use this data to improve services and predict our needs—an inevitable reality of the digital world.