
Your Phone Can Be Tracked and It's Easier Than You Think

Mobile device tracking is far more common than most people realize. Here is how it actually happens and how to protect yourself.
Most business owners assume phone tracking is something that happens to other people - celebrities, executives at Fortune 500 companies, people with something to hide. In reality, tracking a smartphone's location is far easier, and far more common, than most people realize.
How Phones Get Tracked
- •App permissions: Many apps request location access far beyond what they need to function, and that data is often sold to data brokers.
- •Stalkerware: Commercially available apps can be installed on a device in minutes and silently report location, messages, and calls to another party.
- •Wi-Fi and Bluetooth tracking: Retail and public locations increasingly track device signals even without app installation.
- •SIM swapping and carrier vulnerabilities: Sophisticated attackers can redirect a phone number to intercept calls, texts, and two-factor codes.
Why This Matters for Business Leaders
For executives in financial services, construction, and manufacturing who travel between job sites, client meetings, and offices, location tracking isn't just a personal privacy concern - it can expose business travel patterns, client relationships, and even physical safety information to bad actors.
Practical Steps to Reduce Exposure
- Review app permissions regularly and revoke location access for apps that don't need it.
- Keep phone operating systems updated - many tracking exploits target outdated software.
- Enable two-factor authentication using an authenticator app instead of SMS where possible, to reduce SIM-swap risk.
- Use mobile device management (MDM) for company-owned devices to monitor for suspicious installed apps.
When It's a Business, Not Personal, Issue
If company-owned devices are involved, unmanaged mobile risk becomes a business liability - especially for employees with access to client data or financial systems.
Veracity Technologies helps Minneapolis-St. Paul businesses implement mobile device management and security policies that protect both company data and employee privacy on the devices your team relies on every day.
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Schedule a free technology and cyber risk audit with our team.
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Published 2025-08-15 · Last reviewed December 2025