Ultrasonic Cross-Device Tracking
Now a new technique has been developed where such tracking takes place with the help of ultrasonic sounds and is called – Ultrasonic Cross-Device Tracking. Using this technique, advertisers embed high-frequency tones that are not audible to human ears in advertisements and web pages. These tones or ultrasound “Beacons” as they are referred to, in general, emit their audio sequences with speakers or microphone—like those used by certain apps on a smartphone, tablet, TV, PC or any device connected to the Internet, which detects the signal and reveal information about the ads you have been watching and time duration for the same.
What is Ultrasonic Tracking
The technique allows advertisers to track the user’s visited content across different IoT devices and help them push relevant or precisely, more targeted content. For example, if a user clicks on an advertisement while browsing the web at home/office, the advertisers readily collect this information to display, later on, related advertisements on other devices belonging to the same user, along with other information that adds to the profile of each user that is linked to various devices. SilverPush, Drawbridge, Adobe, and Flurry are known to be working on ways to pair a given user to specific devices. Says CDT: The Dangers The use of this ultrasonic spectrum as a communication channel to “pair” devices for the aforementioned tracking purposes can have other repercussions too. For instance, in-depth technical analysis of the underlying technology exposes both implementation & design vulnerabilities, and therefore, critical security & privacy shortcomings. If an attacker manages to get access to this network he can exploit uXDT (Ultrasonic Tracking) frameworks to reveal true IP addresses of users who browse the Internet through anonymity networks (e.g., VPNs or TOR). FTC had also issued a warning about this:
Precautions As a precautionary measure, you can follow certain countermeasures that have been designed, implemented, and released publicly to overcome this threat. These include: Although the use of technology has simplified our life much, the larger worrying factor about it remains its potential misuse for personal benefits!
Download and read this PDF guide which talks of Attacks & Countermeasures of Ultrasonic Cross-Device Tracking. Stay safe, and alert … always! The Internet is becoming worse by the day!
