Whether you realize it or not, everything you do, click on, look at, send, post, and share on your technology is continuously recorded. These things do not even include all of the personal information you enter yourself, such as your address, complete name, family members, work, political and religious beliefs, etc. Every ad you see is specifically tailored to you since your interests and personality are constantly monitored.

Many individuals believe that being followed and having ads targeted at them based on their interests is not a huge concern; however, it is far worse than that. Data brokers collect your information and interests, which are then sold to corporations so that they may produce and target ads that may be of interest to you. Furthermore, while companies claim to collect your information to serve you better, they mostly use it to build “models” that can track human behavior and, eventually, predict your actions. Even worse than having every step you take recorded, the more information you give out to be tracked increases your chance of identity theft, security breaches, and perhaps being stalked.

This information may seem worrying and frightening, especially if you have already shared or uploaded much information about yourself that can be collected. However, there are a few steps that may be taken to help prevent any more information from being monitored and gathered. To begin, you can install antivirus software to protect yourself from unwanted ads, scams, and potential hacking, as well as to keep viruses out of your technology. Another option would be to use stronger and more unique passwords, making it more difficult for hackers and trackers to guess your passwords. Finally, you could utilize a VPN, which makes it harder to monitor your location and impossible to access your information via a network you are connecting to.

Being watched and tracked is practically impossible to avoid. With technological advancements, a single posted photo might reveal information about your interests, personal life, personality, and emotions. While you cannot fully prevent data collection, especially if you access the internet (as most people do), there are certain steps you can take to protect yourself and your personal information.