Tracking each other on our devices has become part of the way we live our lives. We share our location to tell friends we’re meeting how far away we are; we track our delivery person so we know when to be home to receive our parcel or dinner; we put smart tags on our luggage and expensive items in case they go missing; and every parent of teens know that sense of comfort that checking their location on Find My Phone brings.
So widespread is the sharing and tracking of our locations that a recent eSafety Commission study found one in five young adults actually believe tracking a partner’s location is to be expected in a relationship.
Another study published by Griffith University earlier this year found that the normalisation of tracking begins at a young age.
“We found parents increasingly used tracking apps to monitor children and provide safety,” Griffith University PhD candidate María Atiénzar Prieto said in the report.
While tracking each other’s location is undoubtedly convenient when things are good – when our lives and relationships change, it can put us in physical, emotional, and financial danger.
The 2023 murder of Lilie James put a spotlight on tech-facilitated abuse, when it was revealed that her killer had tracked her location through Snapmaps, but tracking doesn’t just occur on tracking apps, it can occur through shared data accounts, common devices, banking apps, and chat groups – in fact, just about anywhere data is shared across devices and accounts.
According to the eSafety commission, the average Australian household has about 40 inter-connected devices, so how can you protect yourself and your children’s location and privacy?
1. Secure your phone:
- Review app permissions: Check which apps have access to your location and revoke permission if necessary.
- Disable location services: Turn off location services on your phone, through ‘settings’, to prevent apps from accessing your location data.
- Install security apps: Use apps designed to scan for spyware and remove malicious software.
- Remove unfamiliar apps: If you see apps you don’t recognise, remove them.
- Keep your phone and software updated: Regularly update your phone’s operating system and apps to patch security vulnerabilities.
2. Consider using a VPN:
VPN stands for virtual private network
, and is a service that protects your internet connection and privacy online. VPNs create an encrypted tunnel for your data, protect your online identity by hiding your IP address, and allow you to use public Wi-Fi hotspots safely.
To get a VPN, you’ll first need to choose a VPN provider and then subscribe to their service. Once you’ve subscribed, you can download and install the VPN app on your desired devices and log in with your account.
3. Securely using the internet
A private browser can block cookies, trackers, and other elements that can be used to track you online. To open a private browser window in Chrome, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+N (or Command+Shift+N on macOS). Alternatively, you can open the Chrome menu (three dots in the top right corner), select “New Incognito Window,” and start browsing.
You can also use a private search engine like DuckDuckGo.
4. Check for Tracking Devices:
Know who has access to your home and car and physically check for tracking devices. It’s increasingly common for single mothers, sharing custody with a child’s father, to discover smart tags inserted into things like children’s clothing, toys, or school bag.
5. Shared accounts
Most mothers share telecommunications and data accounts with their kids, and this can be a problem if a child’s device is accessed by another adult, such as their father. Account setups differ by service provider, so it is recommended that you contact your provider and ask what of your personal data is shared and how you can limit it.
6. Other Measures:
- Turn off Bluetooth: Disabling Bluetooth can prevent some forms of tracking.
- Enable airplane mode: Airplane mode disconnects your phone from all wireless communication, making it untraceable.
- Restart your phone: A reboot can help remove any tracking software that may be running in the background.
- Factory reset: Factory resetting your phone can remove all data, including tracking software (but be aware, it will also remove the data you probably don’t want to lose, such as contacts, calendar etc)
You can find detailed and specific advice on protecting yourself and your children online on the website of the eSafety Commissioner.
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