Are smartphones spying on us? Revelations show how technology uses our conversations to target ads
A recent report in the US media has shaken up the already sensitive debate about privacy in the digital age. There has been a leak of a commercial offer by Cox Media Group (CMG), which advertises exactly the kind of service that conspiracy theories have warned about and that some people have feared for years – listening in on conversations via smart devices and then using that data to target advertising. This offering gives companies the ability to use a feature known as “Active Listening”, or active listening.
I’m sure you’ve heard of cases where people complain that they were talking to someone about a product, and then ads for that exact product started popping up on social media. Although these claims are often considered exaggerated or paranoid, the reality may not be so far from these perceptions. While big tech companies like Facebook and Google claim they don’t track us in such a way, it’s clear from the leaked documents that at least some companies do offer these technologies.
According to CMG’s presentation, the goal of their service is to collect voice data from smart devices that listen to us in real time. This data is then combined with behavioral data to better understand what specific users want and need. These users are then classified as “in-market” customers – that is, people who are actively searching for a particular product or service. The result is more accurate ad targeting, which should increase the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
CMG says in its sales pitch that their system can collect this data from more than 470 different sources, including smart devices like phones, smart TVs and speakers. Although the company doesn’t specify exactly what devices are involved, it’s likely they’re talking about technologies like voice assistants, such as Apple’s Siri or Google Assistant. These technologies already listen to our commands, so it’s not unlikely that listening features are being used for other purposes.
The response to this news was swift and unequivocal. After information about “Active Listening” became public, Google immediately dropped CMG from its partner program. Meta, the company that manages Facebook and Instagram, admitted that it has partnered with CMG, but also distanced itself from using Active Listening. Meta has repeatedly said it does not use phone microphones to target ads. In addition, the company said it will investigate whether CMG is violating their terms of engagement and emphasized that this type of listening is not tolerated in their practices.
Amazon, another tech giant mentioned in CMG’s documents, hasn’t stayed quiet either. The company has publicly denied any collaboration with CMG on the service and said it has no plans to implement such practices.
The topic of tracking and use of personal data is becoming increasingly vivid and serious, especially with the advent of new technologies. The smart devices we use today for communication, navigation, entertainment and other activities can potentially collect far more information than we realise. Most smartphones, tablets and other devices are equipped with microphones and cameras that are capable of listening to our commands, but they can also be used for other purposes.
What’s even more interesting is that these technologies can extend beyond phones and other common devices. For example, the car company Ford recently patented technology that could use eavesdropping in smart cars to target advertising. The system, called the “In-Vehicle Advertisement Presentation System,” would be able to analyze passengers’ conversations and display personalized ads on the vehicle’s display accordingly. The system could, for example, recognise where passengers are heading and serve them ads for restaurants or hotels at their destination accordingly.
All these technologies obviously raise questions about the legality and ethics of such tracking. CMG has previously attempted to allay these concerns on its blog, explaining that many users unknowingly consent to “listening” features when downloading new apps or updating their devices. Often, this permission is spelled out in long and complex contracts that most of us don’t read.
But at the end of the day, the question remains: How many of our private conversations are truly private? And where is the line between legal surveillance and unacceptable invasion of our privacy? As technology evolves, these questions are likely to become more and more pressing.
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