Here Are 6 Weird Ways You're Being Tracked in the Real World

Companies are tracking you all the time. They want the data that they can collect from you and they want it in a format that’s reliable and dependable. That’s why they opt for agencies, tracking companies and data warehouses to share your information.

With Facebook’s data scandal coming into the mainstream, there have been reports of other companies tracking you as well. When it comes down to it, even if you’re buying something like a coupon and you enter your information into their membership data, you’re sharing your data.

Regardless of whether that data is important to you or not, you must be aware of which agencies are tracking you at what locations. You can be tracked from all corners of the world without even knowing it. Companies can state that it’s for security purposes or that they want to know more about you, but at the end of the day, they’re tracking you for profit. Every time you’ve clicked on an ad or liked a page or spoken to someone on instant message, your activity is being tracked.

Companies keep a long list of insights on your data and prepare reports based on what they’re trying to do next. If you happen to give some of your information online like your email ID or date of birth, they have tools that can combine distributed information and make a profile based on your actual data. That’s when they can start to target above and beyond your expectations.

Here are 6 really weird ways you’re being targeted in the real world –

License Plate Information

It’s really weird but companies can track your personal information if they have eyes on your license plate. Any time you go in for a repair job, or you’re driving on the main highway where there are cameras, you’re getting your data out there in the real world.

That data can be linked to any tickets you may have had, any open cases, any background checks that may have happened on your name, etc. There’s not much that you can do to protect yourself here but avoiding any major accidents should be good for now.

You can make it a point to never reveal your plate numbers to anyone online and keep cameras outside your home to see if someone’s stalking/watching your car.

Although it’s only companies that want your data for sending you flyers and brochures, you can protect yourself from these emails and letters by opting out and not subscribing to anything that you don’t need.

Credit Report and FICO Score

Companies love to know more about who you are and how good your credit is. That’s when premium brands can target you to make you buy more things that you might need. You may have noticed that as your FICO score increased, you started to get more credit card offers and car loan deals.

That’s because there is always a risk of your data being tracked and leaked. With the recent Equifax leak, a major chunk of social security numbers and personal information has been out in the ether. Companies can double check that data and mass target for marketing purposes. Although that data is highly illegal in nature, there’s nothing that can be done as it’s already leaked.

There’s not much you can do about it but refrain from getting too much credit. Every time you get more debt, the company does a credit check on you to pull your records. That’s when data can be stolen or leaked online.

Mobile Phone Location

How often do you turn off your Bluetooth or location services on your phone? Nowadays companies have started to track your social media data and your location services through open WIFI networks and social media posts.

There is always a chance that a hacker can spoof a public WIFI network and steal your information by tracking your location. The moment that you’re walking alone at home, a robber can be given a message and they can attack you when you’re least expecting it.

Online Ads and Monitoring

Every time you click on an ad, it’s tracking your progress. It can re-send you ads that you may like and drop a cookie on your laptop. It’s essentially harmless, but if you click on the wrong kinds of ads you may be getting tracked even when you switch your PC off.

Be careful when clicking ads online, especially if you’re on a website that doesn’t have an HTTPS secure connection.

Online Objects at Home

Did you know that your Roomba could be collecting information about your room? And your smart dolls could be recording your conversations. That’s the power of hacking and data collection. These smart objects sit quietly in our homes and track a lot of information to help them get better.

Now with AI coming, no one knows the extent to which these objects can track your information when you least expect it.

Social Media and Tagging

Every time you tag a picture and upload it to the internet, your location gets geotagged in. That’s why it’s so risky to put your information out there, and it’s a real invitation to companies who want to send you marketing material.

This also opens up the entire ecosystem to stalkers and people who may want to track you for malicious purposes. Always remember to keep your location off, and not tag them when you’re in a new country or in a neighborhood you don’t recognize. Be careful and smart about social media.

Conclusion

Nobody likes being tracked without being told it’s happening, which is why it’s important to keep yourself updated about what’s happening. Your online activity, social media status, and even your mobile information could be going out to several third-parties that you may have no idea about. That’s why it’s important to be on top of these things so that you don’t make errors when conducting business or even living your everyday lives.