this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2024
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Google & Facebook partner admits it can listen to device microphone to serve ads - Dexerto (www.dexerto.com)
submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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A media firm that has worked with the likes of Google and Meta has admitted that it can target adverts based on what you said out loud near device microphones.

Media conglomerate Cox Media Group (CMG) has been pitching tech companies on a new targeted advertising tool that uses audio recordings collected from smart home devices, according to a 404 Media investigation. The company is partners with Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Bing.

In a pitch deck presented to Google, Facebook, and others in November 2023, CMG referred to the technology used for monitoring and active listening as “Voice Data.” The firm also mentioned using artificial intelligence to collect data about consumers’ online behavior.

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (7 children)

Critically, "Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft told 404 Media they have no involvement with CMG’s Voice Data tool."

But more importantly, they can't listen on your microphone unless you give them permission. It's not a thing that is technically possible. And like the article says, these days phones even show an indicator to alert you when the microphone is on.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That indicator and the permission system are provided by the OS on your phone. If you trust your OEM not to abuse it, then it works. If the company that made your device is facebook, neither of those features prevent facebook from listening in 24/7.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

I also think people discount the power of advertising when they think Facebook or Amazon is listening to them. They don't think that maybe why they were talking about xyz was because they saw an ad for it. Then they saw another ad for it after they talked about it and got confused on cause and effect.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Facebook doesn't make phones.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

They did once:

"Facebook’s phone collaboration with HTC was a flop back in 2013."

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

They do make other Android-based devices like the Meta Quest line of VR headsets, and Facebook was just an example, any other OEM fits in that statement as well, like Samsung, Google, OnePlus, etc.

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