Bluetooth is bad and you should stop using it

Everyone uses Bluetooth. Maybe they should not.

The technology we have relied on to connect our phones, smart speakers, cars, vibrators and toasters is problematic for more serious reasons than pairing issues. It has been shown time and time again that Bluetooth was a nightmare of security and privacy, even though it can be solved largely by a simple toggle switch.

You just have to decide to reverse this switch.

Bluetooth has long been a dirty word for security professionals. So much so that one of the most common tips given to participants at the annual conference of DEF CON conference organizers in Las Vegas is to make sure that Bluetooth is off on their phone.

It's not just paranoia. In fact, at this year's DEF CON conference, researchers demonstrated the ability to use Bluetooth to identify vulnerable digital speakers. Once identified, hackers could take control of the devices and force them to emit "dangerous" sounds that can lead to hearing loss in anyone unhappy enough to be nearby.

Other Bluetooth-related issues, although more prosaic, still are. Earlier this week, researchers announced a flaw that could allow hackers to intercept and modify data sent via Bluetooth.

"[An] The attacker is able to listen to or modify the content of nearby Bluetooth communications, even between devices that have already been successfully coupled, "say the researchers.

This is not everything. Just a few weeks ago, researchers showed AirDrop how malicious users can determine your full phone number (which says a lot about you) because of Bluetooth Low Energy's operation.

It got worse. As the New York Times and others have reported that many stores now use Bluetooth tags to locate closer to the customers. This information is often sold or given to advertisers, who then use it to create data profiles of unintentional people who simply want to buy a milk carton.

In principle, the continued activation of Bluetooth technology on your phone exposes you to potential risks of hacking, misuse and confidentiality. The solution is simple: do not use it. Or, if you must do it, make sure to turn it off as soon as you have disassociated the device in question.

This precaution may seem like a pain in the ass now, but any frustration with the repeated coupling and dissociation of your gadgets is much worse than being hacked or your privacy is systematically violated.

So turn off Bluetooth, get a wired headset and enjoy the sweet sound of knowing you've taken basic digital security measures.