(DailyEmailNews.com) – In an alarming breach of privacy, a new investigation has revealed that our smartphones might be eavesdropping on us — actually listening to our conversations — as a way to serve targeted advertisements.
A recent report disclosed that a marketing company that collaborates with giants like Facebook and Google uses smartphone microphones to listen to users’ conversations.
This data is then used to push personalized ads to users.
Cox Media Group, a major player in the television and radio news landscape, disclosed in a presentation for investors that it utilizes “Active Listening” software.
According to the report, this technology uses artificial intelligence to “capture real-time intent data by listening to our conversations. ”
In this presentation, Cox Media Group (CMG) described how “Advertisers can pair this voice-data with behavioral data to target in-market consumers.”
The document further explained that this AI software compiles and scrutinizes both “behavioral and voice data from 470+ sources,” revealing the extensive reach of data collection.
Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta expressed concerns over these practices.
“Meta does not use your phone’s microphone for ads and we’ve been public about this for years,” a Meta representative said.
They also mentioned that they are in communication with CMG to ensure that their programs do not misuse Meta’s data.
Google responded to the revelations by distancing itself from CMG and removing the firm from its affiliate program listing shortly after the report was published.
Additionally, an Amazon spokesperson clarified that their advertising branch “has never worked with CMG on this program and has no plans to do so.”
They affirmed that Amazon remained ready to act against any partners violating its policies.
A similar incident was reported in December when New Hampshire-based MindSift admitted to using voice data captured through device microphones for ad targeting.
This revelation of CMG’s “Active Listening” technology has stirred considerable debate about privacy and legality.
CMG itself tackled these concerns in a now-deleted blog post from November 2023.
“It is legal for phones and devices to listen to you. When a new app download or update prompts consumers with a multi-page term of use agreement somewhere in the fine print, Active Listening is often included,” the company wrote.
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