(Answered) Can Employers See Your Search History?

Technology continues to evolve, and with it, privacy concerns have become increasingly prominent. One significant issue is that all the data on your phone can be accessed remotely by other people.

Let's discuss whether your employer can monitor your device and see the search history on your device, and what you can do to prevent this from happening.

Can Employers See Your Search History?

Yes, the unfortunate answer is that employers can legally check their employees' browsing history under certain conditions. This can happen if you use company WiFi, use a company-owned device, or if the company has installed spyware on your device. Let's delve into the details of how employers can monitor your search history.

How Can Employers See Your Search History?

Using Company WiFi

Employers can track internet activity on the company network, including on personal devices connected to it. The Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) measure when you use the Company WiFi prevents malicious content from bypassing firewall protections via encrypted channels. 

Through this, employers can also access all activity on the WiFi connection, allowing them to track your location, monitor the pages you visit, and see the content you download.

Company-Owned Devices

If you use a company-owned device, your employer may have installed monitoring software or tools that track your browsing history regardless of the network you are connected to. In such cases, your browsing activity can still be monitored.

Spyware and MDM Software

Mobile Device Management (MDM) software and spyware enable the company to restrict non-work-related features and monitor activities including browsing history on the device. 

To verify if your device is supervised by MDM software, open the Settings app on your device. A message at the top of the screen should say, "This iPhone is supervised and managed by [Company Name]."

You can also see what types of changes your employer has made to the device settings by navigating to Settings > General > Profiles & Device Management. 

If there is a profile available, open it to check what changes were made. Besides MDM, employers can use spyware to monitor employees' browsing history, as well as other data like phone calls, texts, and emails.

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How to Prevent Employers from Seeing Your Search History?

It is essential to be aware of the privacy implications when using company resources or devices. By understanding the methods employers use to monitor activity, you can take steps to protect your privacy. Here are some measures you can take:

Avoid Connecting to Company WiFi

When connecting your device to the company's WiFi, you expose the data and information on your device. We strongly recommend switching from your work's WiFi network to your personal data network (like your mobile data). By doing so, your employer typically cannot see your browsing history on your personal data network.

Use Your Own Device

If allowed, use your own personal devices to keep your private activities separate from your work responsibilities. If not allowed, avoid using company-provided devices for personal browsing or activities.

Check for Monitoring Software

Regularly check your device for any installed monitoring software or profiles. On iPhones, go to Settings > General > Profiles & Device Management to see if there are any management profiles installed.

If there is, one way to remove it is by using external applications. Unlockit a tool that allows you to remove MDM from your device without the use of a username or password.

If you aren't comfortable using external applications, you can try to remove MDM through your device's settings. Note that this method isn't foolproof, and you might still need to use Unlockit in the end. Before attempting, ensure you know the login details of the MDM profile on your device and that you are the administrator of the device.

Here are the steps to remove MDM through settings:

1. Open your iPhone's Settings and tap on General.
2. Navigate to Profiles & Device Management.
3. Select the MDM Profile and then select Remove Management.
4. If prompted, enter the necessary credentials to remove the profile.

By following these steps, you can better protect your privacy and prevent your employer from seeing your search history.

Summary

Employers can monitor your search history using different methods, especially when using company resources like WiFi and devices. To protect your privacy, use personal devices for private activities, avoid connecting to company WiFi for personal browsing, and regularly check for any monitoring software installed on your device. By understanding these methods and taking precautions, you can better safeguard your online privacy from employer surveillance.