What happens if you allow apps to track your activity? Find out the truth.

Tech Tips: Activity tracking means an app or service is recording information related to your digital activity.

Tech Tips: Smartphones have carved a unique niche in people's lives. From work to entertainment, everything is now possible through smartphones. However, alongside advancing technology, privacy risks have also emerged. Smartphones host numerous apps; consequently, these apps can access information about what we search for, which websites we visit, where we go, and what interests us.

We often grant permission for activity tracking without giving it much thought when installing apps. But have you ever wondered what happens after you grant this permission? Let’s uncover the full story.

What is Activity Tracking?

Essentially, activity tracking means an app or service is recording data related to your digital activities. This record includes details such as which apps you use, which websites you visit, and what you search for.

However, it is not necessarily the case that every app gains access to your entire activity history. It depends on the permissions you have granted and the type of data the app collects.

Gauging your preferences

Activity tracking helps determine your likes and dislikes. For instance, suppose you repeatedly search online for a specific mobile phone, pair of shoes, or hotel. If data regarding your activity is shared across different services, companies can infer your preferences.

Based on this, you start seeing more advertisements for similar products or services in the future. In other words, whatever you simply search for becomes part of your digital profile.

Advertisements can become more personalized.

It is worth noting that tracking is primarily used to enhance the quality of advertisements. Your online activity reveals your likes and dislikes. Consequently, your digital feed displays ads related to the items you have recently searched for.

Many people find it unsettling when, after discussing or searching for a product, they start seeing related advertisements across various apps and websites.

It impacts privacy.

The biggest concern regarding this feature relates to user privacy. If information about your activity is processed across multiple services, a detailed profile of your online habits is created.

Therefore, before granting tracking permission to any app, it is crucial to understand what kind of data it is requesting and for what purpose that data will be used.