How to render your cell phone more private – The Wall Street Journal

Can you stop your phone from leaking personal data about you? Increasingly, the answer appears to be no.

Published on:

18 Sept 2019, 1:22 pm

All the instant benefits of a smartphone come at a price, ranging from invasion of privacy and unwanted advertising to criminal hacking of accounts or data. While we can't plug the leaks completely, we can make the lives of those who want to profile us or access our data and/or money, that much harder. Enough to make unknown outsiders looking for soft targets seek their jollies elsewhere, simply because it's easier. This author spoke to some cybersecurity experts and top business executives about how to render your phone relatively safe. Hackers and unwanted guests most often rely on one thing; your willing or unwitting co-operation, the latter being where this article holds the most valence. Use apps with encrypted messaging such as WhatsApp or Signal, instead of straight messaging. Install an ad-blocking application. Don't let outsiders track your location unless it's directly pertinent to the purpose of the app – as in finding nearby restaurants. Delete apps you don't use – they could be acting as 'sleepers,' silently passing on data to their creators and/or hackers. The list is long, but hugely worthwhile. You can take more control of your phone, rendering yourself far safer. – Chris Bateman