You may be among the many people who believe that the conversations they have near their smartphones lead to seeing online advertisements related to products or services that they may have discussed with others in real life. Or maybe you know people who think so.
The conspiracy theory will probably never go away, even though most iPhones and Android devices can’t actually spy on you. They have built-in privacy protections that will show you when and if your phone’s microphone is in use.
However, there’s a brand new report you should check out. One marketing company claims in now-deleted marketing materials that it uses artificial intelligence to eavesdrop on people talking near devices such as smartphones, smart speakers, and smart TVs. Artificial intelligence is involved in this process, resulting in more precise targeting than traditional methods of tracking users’ interests online.
Given the current technology landscape, these are pretty wild claims, and I’m inclined to think that the marketing company in question is simply exaggerating their capabilities. Either that or something more nefarious is afoot, especially with the mention of other types of smart devices.
Can smartphones eavesdrop?
I don’t think any marketing company can use advertising technology to spy on modern smartphones. The iPhone has protections against this, and I find it unlikely that a marketing company’s software can overcome this. The latest Android phones also offer microphone access. I would be equally surprised if a marketing company’s software could bypass this security.
I will point out that voice assistants on iPhone and Android are always listening to your voice input. But they listen for keywords that activate them, like “Hey Siri” on the iPhone. It is highly unlikely that a marketing company will be able to exploit these features. And you can always turn it off.
As for smart speakers and TVs, I can see scenarios where such endeavors are possible. A company may be able to take advantage of a software vulnerability that gives it uninterrupted access to your microphone. In turn, using artificial intelligence will allow them to capture audio data and create advertising profiles for certain users. How can they target these users with ads? This is still not clear.
Active listening technique
The wild claims come from a marketing team within media giant Cox Media Group (CMG), according to documents 404 media Found online (via 9to5Mac).
It is important to note that CMG appears to have deleted these claims from its website. Maybe they don’t know that you can’t delete things from the internet.
CMG claims to have access to microphones found in smartphones, smart TVs and other devices via a technology called “active listening.”
Using it, CMG can spy on real-time conversations for advertising purposes. It’s unclear how this technology would work, and the documents don’t mention what type of device CMG might be installed on.
“What would it mean for your business if you could target potential customers who are actively discussing their need for your services in their daily conversations? No, it’s not a Black mirror “It is audio data, and CMG has the capabilities to use it to benefit your business,” the company said, according to an archived document.
It sounds scary like a Black mirror episode, assuming the technology works. CMG says it can allow companies to target exactly the buyers they want from specific areas in close proximity to the advertiser.
I said a few days ago that Google’s Gemini technology might one day be used to create incredibly accurate profiles for advertising purposes. The so-called CMG technology is not, but it’s still scary if it works. “Active listening begins and is analyzed via AI to detect relevant conversations across smartphones, smart TVs and other devices,” CMG says.
The ads are then shown across broadcast TV, audio, display ads, YouTube, Google, and Bing Search.
Someone should investigate these allegations
Even more troubling, the marketing materials used by CMG claim that this eavesdropping behavior would be legal because customers agree to listen into their phones when they accept the terms of use for software updates and app downloads.
404 media It also details the experience of one marketing professional to whom CMG demonstrated the eavesdropping technique. They appear to have disabled microphone access on their devices after that.
“I immediately removed all of my Amazon Echo devices and closed microphone permissions on things like my phone as I received confirmation that they were doing things like this that confirmed my worst fears and I personally would not participate in them,” they said.
“Suspicious? Sure. Great for marketing? Sure,” reads a document showing part of the now-deleted CMG website pages. Everything about this certainly sounds creepy. Either it’s all made up, or someone’s going to have to investigate these claims. Because if It was real, there’s a lot of explaining to do.
Must read 404 media The full report is at this link
In recent years, there have been growing concerns and allegations about smartphones listening in on private conversations. While some may dismiss this as a conspiracy theory, there is evidence to suggest that it may indeed be a reality. With technology companies constantly collecting data and developing increasingly advanced artificial intelligence, the idea of our smartphones eavesdropping on our conversations is becoming more plausible. This raises important questions about privacy and security in the digital age, and has led to a heightened awareness of the potential risks associated with our increasingly interconnected devices.