Can a website track your phone?
There are some pieces of information included in phones that are used by third parties to track your phone. Trackers on the phone can find your location and keep records of browsing activities like visiting websites, making purchases, and more. It isn’t easy to obtain some data like your phone number. The website can access many things if the user doesn't care while downloading any app to the phone. Additionally, certain web design elements can also facilitate tracking and data collection. There are various reasons for a website to track your phone.
Who’s Tracking Your Phone and how to find it?
Phones are now essential for various purposes. It can be for communication, browsing the internet, doing online shopping, banking, etc. It seems to be tracked when the phone receives any unknown messages or calls frequently.
But your phone can be tracked by any apps and websites you have signed up for or by phone provider using the data. Avoid responding to calls or messages from unknown numbers as there could be chances of phishing to check if the number is active. Some permission requests allow third parties access to various information like Contacts, Location, browsing and download activities, International Mobile Equipment ID (IMEI), e-mail, phone number etc.
Here are the common forms of tracking websites and apps to sneak into your phone.
Mobile Trojans
Phishing Apps
Spyware/Adware
Trojan is a type of malware that can be even downloaded and installed in a harmless app. This malware gets access to the phone when an app is installed. All kinds of personal data can be retrieved and can damage the phone. Some malware are designed in a way to confuse people and collect all the information. This issue can be prevented, by downloading apps only from trusted websites like App Store and PlayStore.
Websites get your phone number by adding phishing apps hidden with downloads in the form of games, e-commerce stores, etc. to take the data. Fake apps can be avoided by checking reviews, privacy policies, and terms of use of the app installed.
Spyware is software that secretly gathers information from the user’s phone and sends it to third parties where they can earn revenue from that information. Spyware gets downloaded along with any free software or cracked application from the online network. Adware is malicious software that displays advertisements that pop up on the side of the screen. Adware is downloaded when the user clicks the ad. A tracker or malware blocker can be installed to protect against spyware.
What websites do with the phone information?
There are many websites where you give your phone number and this allows them to retain the phone number. Cybercriminals use IMEI to collect data like phone numbers, addresses, emails, location, and browsing habits. They try to exploit your information and use this to do any fraudulent activities. Phishing websites mostly use data to send spam promotions. They access your banking information stored in the phone and open lines of credit and other fraudulent activities in your account.
You have an option not to give your phone number in websites account if it is not required. But it is impossible to avoid giving phone information completely to access the website. You can limit access to information by turning off unnecessary permissions. All kinds of phone information connected to the internet can be tracked. So you have to be careful about where the phone number is given and remove the number from unnecessary online website accounts. Your phone security should be increased to stop tracking the phone and use softwares like a blocker and VPN to avoid tracking.
