Our phones are listening to us, often for the benefit of large corporations. In the United States, a program has been confirmed to exist that listens to users through smartphones and other devices. This program was revealed in a Cox Media Group (CMG) presentation about its “active listening” software, which was intended for potential customers but ended up being exposed by journalists.
It is widely known that certain tools are used to collect user data, and sometimes your smartphone may know more about you than your friends or colleagues do. Even without malicious software, the services on the device transmit user data, which, although impersonal, is still about the user.
This data can be harmless, gathered by developers to improve user experience with their products. However, companies also collect this data to sell to advertisers. For instance, ads in browsers and apps may display banners relevant to your location. Additionally, advertising can target your preferences, search queries, etc., like showing you ads for new glasses after you’ve searched for them online.
However, these examples are relatively benign. Journalists from 404 discovered that CMG provides data collection software that effectively “listens in” on users. This software employs artificial intelligence to analyze conversations near the device in real time, identifying keywords for later use in targeted advertising.
“Advertisers can then match this voice data with other behavioral data to target consumer interests,” state the presentation notes.
Beyond voice data, the company also gathers information from a variety of sources.
The presentation mentioned that CMG’s clientele includes major corporations such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon. It was not clarified whether they utilize the “active listening” feature. Reporters sought comments, but Google responded by removing all traces of its interactions with CMG from its website.
Meta swiftly began to refute the claims, clarifying that while they have worked with the company, it was not in that capacity.
Meta does not use your phone’s microphone for advertising purposes, and this has been our public stance for years,” stated the corporation.
Similarly, Amazon declared that its advertising division has never engaged in discussions with CMG regarding “active listening” and has no intention to do so in the future.
It has been noted that this is not the first instance of allegations surfacing about smartphones “eavesdropping” on users. There have been multiple instances where it was discovered that various companies have utilized audio data from smart device microphones for advertising purposes.
Online, users are discussing a problem they’ve termed “terrible paranoia.”
“One user shares, “My boyfriend and I have begun to notice this frequently. I grumbled about my sister watching The Bachelor, and the following day, an ad for the show popped up on my Facebook. I had never searched for it online or expressed any interest in the show.”
“Another adds, “It’s truly eerie. Every time I think about calling a taxi, I get an email from a taxi service with a promotional offer.”
“A third recounts, “It happened to me too. I once made a joke in conversation about betting on sports if I were psychic. Days later, YouTube and Spotify started suggesting videos on the subject, even though I don’t bet and dislike sports.”
A study from 2023 revealed that nearly half of the British population (45%) reported seeing ads for products soon after talking about them or watching them on TV, without having searched for them online. Moreover, 62% were unaware of how to stop this, and one in eight felt uneasy, with such “coincidences” frightening them.
