In her article entitled “Be Paranoid About Privacy,“ Kara Swisher speaks clearly about privacy. In it she sites “One Nation, Tracked” which is vital to understanding how apps track us. This is a part of The Privacy Project at the New York Times.
As with all things tech and otherwise, Kara covers this topic well. Among other things, she mentions putting tape over her camera. An item she’s missing (and most writers in this space miss) is the microphone is still available. There are many articles found on Google concerning how to block your microphone but they generally suggest software solutions that can be bypassed by malicious software.
There’s no simple “put tape over it” for mics. In Edward Snowden’s interview with VICE on HBO back in June, 2016 he shows some steps to secure a phone. (Search for ’State of Surveillance' with Edward Snowden and Shane Smith.) The entire video (26:55) is an interesting watch. The phone surgery starts about 14:40. He opens the phone and shows how to disconnect the mics making them totally inoperable. He plugs in earbuds when he wants to make a call.
I wish there were simpler solutions for computers and phones.