For years, people have believed that phones were listening to our conversations. Many observed advertisements for products they recently discussed in conversations appeared on their devices with no provocation, often showing them exactly what they wanted.
However, while this was often dismissed as a coincidence, conspiracy theory, or rationalized as to targeted advertising based on online searches, a shocking discovery reveals that there is more to the story, turning long-held suspicions into reality.
Cox Media Group, a marketing firm whose clients include Facebook and Google, has privately confirmed that smartphones come with software that doesn’t just track users’ online activity, but also listens to conversations and what you say out loud near your phone.
This was brought to light by 404 Media, self-described as “a journalist-founded tech outlet here to fuck up the internet”.
Active Listening:
The report revealed that Cox Media Group has developed a software called ‘Active Listening’ for this purpose. Thus, the software enables the smartphone to eavesdrop on conversations via their microphone, gathering real-time important data which is used to create a detailed profile of the users’ interests and intentions. This is then used to target ads more effectively.
For example, if you mention needing a new coffee-maker in a conversation, your phone will pick up on that, leading to you receiving ads for coffee makers soon after.
The unsetting revelation from the firm, whose clients include tech giants like Google and Facebook, has provoked serious questions about privacy, user consent, and the ethics of targeted advertising.
The internet reacts: Backlash from social media
Inevitably, this triggered a wave of backlash on social media, with many declaring that, while controversial, this confirmed long-held suspicions on the violation of trust.
We all know the phones are listening pic.twitter.com/OAKkSrC1nW
— Glass Bead Gamer (@GrillPillMax) September 3, 2024
Chalk another one up for the conspiracy theorists. https://t.co/7la0koFVdX pic.twitter.com/Q685PBYEsv
— 🍁Antonio Tweets (@AntonioTweets2) September 5, 2024
Industry Reactions: Meta and Amazon respond
The revelations have led to swift reactions from numerous tech giants.
Google removed Cox Media Group from its “Partners Programme”, emphasizing that all advertisers must abide by laws and regulations.
Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, has reportedly launched a review of the marketing agency’s terms of service and emphasized that it does not use phone microphones for ad targeting.
Amazon distanced itself from the controversy and denied any involvement in the data privacy issues exposed by the report.
