Posted on 28 Jan 2026 |

Why online tracking is harmful and how to avoid it

You may already know that your smartphone constantly tracks you. And chances are, you’ve accepted cookies more than once by thinking, “I don’t care, I have nothing to hide.”

Today is Data Privacy Day, a moment dedicated to raising awareness about how personal data is collected and used. At Murena, we use our expertise to warn people about the risks of personal data tracking — and to offer solutions through our privacy-focused, user-friendly smartphones and services.

Today, we’d like to take a closer look at why you should care, and to what extent the data you share with your phone every day could harm you.

In this article, you will learn that…

It is true that tracking sounds convenient in many situations, but if we dive deeper, we quickly find out that it’s harmful in many ways and not only influences young people, but also adults – from what we buy to what we vote for and believe. This brings us directly to the first reason, why tracking is harmful:

Online tracking is harmful because it influences our actions and choices

The main goal of social media platforms is to keep us engaged – no matter how.

Just like AI tends to confirm your assumptions depending on how you phrase a question (for example: “This and that is true, right?”), social media algorithms flatter users in order to keep them engaged: By simply showing them, what they already believe.

Then, they gradually push related content with more extreme views.
For example, men with so-called “traditional values” may be intentionally led toward videos created by misogynistic influencers from the so-called “manosphere.”

While this is one prominent example, radicalization is not limited to men and can affect people of all genders and ages.

The internet makes access to information easier than ever. As a result, more and more users trust influencers over established media. Anyone can present themselves as an expert on social platforms, buy large numbers of followers, and spread their own version of the truth.

Social platforms profit from this trust by guiding users toward more extreme content to keep them engaged.

Based on your online behavior – such as likes, comments, and other interactions – algorithms recommend related posts, groups, or even selectively display comments that reinforce certain views. This strengthens extreme beliefs and can lead to radicalization or other harmful behavior, not only online but also in real life.

Online tracking is harmful to your individual security because it increases privacy risks

You might think your beliefs are already well established and that, as an adult, there’s no risk of letting algorithms influence you. So, you can simply accept all the cookies, share your information, and sleep peacefully, right? If this were a movie, you’d hear a loud “no!” sound effect.

Have you ever taken the time to count the partners some websites share cookies with?
There’s no benefit in giving away confidential information about yourself to third parties.
Companies create a detailed consumer profile of you – what you like to buy, what your opinions are, how fast you drive, or even how fast you type. Of course, this may include your location and other sensitive data.

The more third parties have access to this information, the higher the risk of data leaks, identity theft, or hackers enjoying a shopping spree in your name.

As the past has shown, extended data collection – mostly practiced by Big Tech – can lead to serious security risks. Not long ago, Instagram publicly revealed confidential information (including physical locations) of many users – leaving people wondering why the company had this information in the first place. Instead of regretting it later, be aware of the unethical practices happening every day across the World Wide Web. We share easy tips to show you how to protect your privacy online on our blog and our social media channels.

Online tracking is harmful because it can influence our mental health

According to Prioridata*, an average adult spends more than four hours on their smartphone per day. This is not only a matter of habit or self-control, but also a result of how platforms are designed: content we enjoy is actively pushed to us, making feeds more engaging and harder to leave. No wonder why what we see on the internet shapes our way of thinking, but also of how we perceive ourselves.

Decades ago, when we encountered flawless movie stars or idols, it was easy to say, “That’s part of their job – of course they look perfect.” Today, however, perfectly polished faces dominate social media feeds. The difference is not only in the images themselves, but in how persistently they are shown to us.

Tracking technologies analyze what we watch, like, pause on, or scroll past – and algorithms respond by serving more of the same. Someone who lingers on beauty videos will quickly find their feed filled almost exclusively with idealized bodies and faces. Endless scrolling then reinforces the illusion that this curated version of reality is normal, or even expected.

Just as adults can become attached to smartphones they did not grow up with, they can also become increasingly vulnerable to algorithm-driven comparison pressure. Repeated exposure to the same narrow standards – selected and amplified through tracking – can quietly erode self-esteem and negatively affect mental well-being.

Of course, this also applies to other topics we are confronted with online – such as distressing news or conspiracy theories. In many online communities, information sources are simply assumed to be trustworthy. A repeated lie that we have heard too often can start to sound like the truth. It may even happen that people confuse the manipulation of others with their own ability to think critically.

This can affect not only mental health, but even physical health. When online communities are treated as health experts, mild abdominal pain can easily be misinterpreted as a serious disease such as stomach cancer – especially when related posts or articles repeatedly appear in one’s feed. People who take a critical view of big pharmaceutical companies may search for alternative solutions, and they have every right to do so – but they should also be aware of which sources are trustworthy and which are not.

Whenever anxiety rises because of an online “diagnosis,” the question has likely been asked at the wrong place. It may sound obvious, but what we see on the internet is only a fragment of reality (or sometimes not reality at all). If you do not feel well, consult a professional. If you start to believe that everyone looks great except you, put your smartphone in your pocket and look at real people. And if you notice that your views have changed drastically, make a conscious effort to seek out different, independent sources of information.

Online tracking is harmful because of intrusive ads

Just like social and political opinions, the content we’re exposed to can influence our shopping behavior. Algorithms might even show you ads tailored to your past searches, motivating you to buy from shops you might not have considered otherwise. On most platforms, ads are displayed on an auction basis, which means that – as you might have already guessed – the ads you see are not necessarily from companies with values you agree with, but from those that pay the most and are interested in your consumer profile.

As we explained above, the latter is filled with details about you, which sometimes may seem insignificant – and then sold to companies and data brokers. This can have surprising consequences: for example, if you’re searching for a gift for someone who uses the same device as you, targeted ads might reveal your plans and spoil the surprise.

You might already feel a little less human and more like a product at that point – in which case the following will not shock you too much: Have you ever tried the game Pokémon Go? Perhaps an algorithm suggested it to you (or maybe it was an influencer promoted by an algorithm)? If you’re not familiar with Pokémon Go, it’s a location-based game where players walk around the real world to find virtual creatures called Pokémon. Some of them are very rare and are worth more points than others. According to Shoshana Zuboff***, professor at Harvard Business School, physical businesses could invest in Pokémon Go to place rare Pokémon in their stores, encouraging players to visit and, hopefully, buy products offered by the company.

Online tracking is harmful because it can create misunderstandings and conflicts

Just like the spoiled surprise we mentioned above, tracking can lead to misunderstandings or even conflicts.

Have you realized how biased consumer profiles actually are? Based on your location and online behavior, algorithms draw conclusions about your interests, preferences, and habits – and push you into communities and discussions chosen for you.

Sometimes, this affects not just you, but others around you. For example:

Someone who’s happily in love might suddenly see ads for dating apps, which can confuse or upset their partner. (Who hasn’t seen a “You have a private message from XXX” notification?)
Searching for health advice online can trigger personalized ads for supplements or treatments that might worry family or friends when they see them, causing unnecessary misunderstandings.

These examples show that tracking doesn’t only influence individual behavior – it shapes how we and others are perceived online, setting the stage for larger consequences, like social bias, where certain groups might be favored or excluded by algorithms without anyone noticing.

Online tracking is harmful because it reinforces discrimination and social bias

Lately on LinkedIn, several women tried changing their profile’s gender to male to see whether they would get more reach – which, in many cases, they did. Meanwhile, women of color pointed out that they have been living with this kind of discrimination their entire lives.

Limited reach is only part of the picture: Algorithms do not only define your reach; they also define what reaches you – often based on assumptions about your background and location.

Two people can type the exact same search query and see completely different results, depending on their age, gender, or location: different prices, holiday destinations, and even different job opportunities.

Today, algorithms are often presented as helpful tools. In reality, they are also powerful mechanisms designed to keep us consuming, keep us engaged, and reinforce societal structures that are far from offering equal opportunities to all.

This is one of the reasons why Murena provides technology without tracking. We do our best to protect you and your family from its harmful effects and give you real freedom to choose which information you share – and which you don’t.

After reading this article, you may understand better why technology without tracking is not only for those who “have something to hide,” but also for those who no longer want to be silently manipulated.

So instead of saying, “I don’t care if companies track me – I have nothing to hide,” you might think twice and rephrase it as:
“It’s not that I have anything to hide. It’s that I have nothing I want them to know.”

Find out more about our products without tracking, including our Advanced Privacy app which informs you about the number of trackers a mobile app contains and blocks them:

Visit murena.com

Resources

*https://prioridata.com/data/smartphone-usage-statistics/

**https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2025/11/04/geolocated-advertising-data-can-be-used-to-track-eu-officials-even-to-their-homes_6747103_13.html

***https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIXhnWUmMvw

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