Lesson 874 of 1169
AI and knowing when an app is watching you
Some AI apps watch what you do to learn about you — you can choose how much.
Explorers · Ethics & Society · ~7 min read
The big idea
Some AI apps watch what you do to learn about you — you can choose how much.
Some examples
- Many apps quietly track clicks and time
- Settings can turn off some tracking
- You don't have to say yes to everything
- Asking 'why does this app need that?' is smart
Try it!
Open an app's settings with a grown-up. Find one tracking switch you can turn off.
Practice this safely
Try this with a low-stakes example and a trusted adult nearby. The goal is to notice how AI talks about tracking, not to let it make the decision for you.
- 1Ask AI to explain tracking in plain language, then underline anything that sounds uncertain or too broad.
- 2Give it one detail from "AI and knowing when an app is watching you" and ask for two possible next steps plus one reason each step might be wrong.
- 3Check settings against a trusted source, teacher, adult, expert, or original document before you use it.
End-of-lesson quiz
Check what stuck
8 questions · Score saves to your progress.
Lesson help
Questions are best handled with a grown-up here.
For this age range, Tendril keeps freeform AI chat paused until parent/guardian consent and child-safe moderation are fully verified. Use the quiz, notes, and related lessons below, or ask a parent, guardian, teacher, or librarian to work through the question with you.
Progress saved locally in this browser. Sign in to sync across devices.
Related lessons