INDIANAPOLIS — A viral meme about your phone location settings and a system update has people talking.
That's because our cellphones are like a handheld computer with GPS, loaded with valuable information.
But there are ways to protect yourself.
If you have an iPhone, make sure you install the update that came out in mid-August. If you don't, hackers could gain control of your phone. You can find the update by opening the Settings, then tap on General, then Software Update.
A social media post recently got a lot of shares claiming apps on both Apple and Android phones - specifically Instagram - can nail down you location within 20 feet if the precise location option is turned on.
While the precise location feature is not new, Instagram's owner, Meta, came out after the post surfaced to issue a reminder saying they don't share that data with other users.
With that being said, it's a good reminder that you can say "no thanks" if you don't want any app knowing your location.
For iPhones, go to Settings, then Privacy, followed by Location and go through each app listed.
"(The) data aggregation industry is ... it is one of the largest, if not the largest, industry globally out there. It's the buying and selling of your information, not just sensitive information, but your likes, your interests, your hobbies, this stuff is worth a lot of money, and these companies are getting rich off of it, and you have no control over it. So take back some of the control and limit what information you're giving them access to be able to sell," said privacy expert Carrie Kerskie.
While you're in the Privacy section, see which apps can access your microphone, camera and contacts, because it might surprise you.