A new Google feature in the latest Android 12 update alerts users when their camera or microphone has been activated, potentially spying on them.
The indicator will appear as a camera or mic icon on the top right of your screen when an app tries to access either.
You can also see a log of which apps can access your cam, mic or location. This info is available in the new Privacy Dashboard in Settings, and you can totally deactivate your mic and cam in Quick Settings.
Of course, some apps such as Instagram need to use your camera, but there are plenty that don’t necessarily need access to it and could be using it to spy on you, so always check an app’s permissions in Settings and deny it access if you don’t see any reason for it, or just delete it.
There have long been fears Facebook is using a phone’s mic to pick up conversations and target advertising, after users have received ads on their feed following related conversations, despite never having actively searched for similar products.
Facebook deny this, stressing, “This is not true.
“We show ads based on people’s interests and other profile information – not what you’re talking out loud about.”
This of course doesn’t mean other apps aren’t, so get up to date on Android 12 and ensure apps don’t have permission for anything they don’t actually need access to.
