Many people have long suspected that their phones may be listening to their conversations, only to serve ads related to recent discussions. These suspicions have persisted for years, and now evidence has emerged to support them. A recent report from 404 Media has revealed that a company working with Facebook has been using a controversial technology called “Active Listening.”
This technology, developed by one of Facebook’s marketing partners, uses artificial intelligence to listen in on conversations in real-time. It gathers “intent data” from these conversations to show people more relevant ads based on what they are talking about.
The report is based on leaked documents, including a presentation from Cox Media Group (CMG), a large company that runs TV and radio stations. The documents clearly state that advertisers can combine voice data from conversations with users’ behavioral data to target ads to people who are ready to buy certain products. This has raised concerns about how much personal information, including what people say, is being collected and used for advertising.
Not only has Facebook been linked to CMG’s use of this technology, but it appears that Google and Amazon have also been involved as clients.
After 404 Media asked Google about this, the company reportedly removed CMG from its “Partners Program,” suggesting they no longer want to be connected to the controversial practice.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has denied that it uses smartphone microphones to listen to people for targeted ads, saying this has always been their policy. A Meta spokesperson added that CMG was a general partner and not directly involved with the “Active Listening” program. Meta is also looking into CMG’s use of the technology to make sure Meta user data isn’t involved.
An Amazon spokesperson also clarified that the company has never worked with CMG for advertising purposes.
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