Put Your Phone Down. Face Down.

Do you know who is listening?

We all have stories — we either click on something that sparks our curiosity, or we search for something we need to learn more about.  Or – we chat about a topic at an adult party on a Friday evening.  All of a sudden, we start seeing ads for those same topics in areas of our Internet Life!  Siri can be an awesome personal assistant, but be sure to keep her in check.

First off – I LOVE Accessibility options on Apple devices. That does not mean that we all need ALLLL of them.  So – take a peek on your iPhone…  Go to: Settings, then to Accessibility, then to Siri. Unless you require the feature, make sure your “Always Listen for “Hey Siri” is off.  Otherwise, Siri can listen even when your iPhone is facing down or covered.

But let’s say… once in a while… you leave your iPhone facing up. Sufficed to say, we “might” forget that Siri is listening.  She’s ready to tell you the weather, play you a song or give you directions to head home for the night. As a culture, many of us are willing to accept that privacy breach to make life easier.

But, did you know – Siri is listening to MORE than just your voice, at your command? With every word you speak, you are providing data… and more data…. and even MORE data….

Who can hear your voice? Your ideas? Your questions… Your DATA??

That’s up to you.

Take a minute with your iPhone to double check…  Open Settings, then choose Privacy & Security…. then Microphone. 

I agree. Quite a list, huh?  I’d take a minute and think about which app needs your voice, and which one does not.  I challenge you to shut them ALL off, and then purposely add them back in, one by one, as YOU need them.

Don’t be a Data Donator.  YOU decide what platforms are allowed access to you, your ideas, your thoughts, your voice and your privacy.  Take charge of your privacy.

K12Leaders is here to help perpetuate the idea that HUMAN INTELLIGENCE is far more valuable than Artificial Intelligence. We are SO proud NOT to be on your list of Microphone Security Settings.  We don’t want to feed you content, or keep you addicted, or LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE, or waste your valuable time.  K12Leaders is here to serve leaders in ALL roles while tapping into the invaluable experience of sitting educators, administrators, solution providers and thought leaders.

Did you change your privacy settings as a result of this article? Do you have more advice than this article offers? What about our friends on Android? Are there more specific instructions to protect them?

Jump in! Continue the conversation! We are SO glad you are here!