Smart devices are listening to your conversations for ad targeting, says marketing company

A long-running fear among many people is that their tech — be it smartphones, smart TVs, smart speakers, or anything else — is listening to them.

While this concern was mostly dismissed as a myth thanks to a lack of evidence, it has stuck around for years thanks to how sophisticated other tracking methods have become. However, maybe there was something to that listening myth after all, according to 404 Media. In a recent report, the publication highlighted a media company selling the ability to listen to people’s conversations using technology and use it for ad targeting.

404 reviewed marketing materials and a pitch given to an outside marketing professional by Cox Media Group (CMG) about its ‘Active Listening’ product, which CMG claims can listen to consumers’ conversations through microphones embedded in smartphones, smart TVs, and other devices. 4o4 reports that it isn’t clear whether Active Listening works or if it’s currently in use, but CMG calls it a “a marketing technique fit for the future. Available today.”

Elsewhere, CMG claims that Active Listening can “target your advertising to the EXACT people you are looking for” and that the goal is to target potential customers based on what they say in “day to day conversations.”

“The result? Unprecedented understanding of consumer behavior, so we can deliver personalized ads that make your target audience think: wow, they must be a mind reader,” says a section of the CMG website.

Active Listening is obviously creepy and questionable, which CMG seems aware of thanks to a section that asks “Is Active Listening Legal?”

“We know what you’re thinking. Is this even legal? The short answer is: yes. It is legal for phones and devices to listen to you. When a new app download or update prompts consumers with a multi-page terms of use agreement somewhere in the fine print, Active Listening is often included,” CMG says.

404 says it didn’t find much information about Active Listening and how it works beyond what CMG says on its website. However, it’s worth noting that Apple and Google now include indicators that the microphone is active in their respective smartphone operating systems.

404 also found CMG’s list of partners and publishers, which includes Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

You can check out the full report here.

Source: 404 Media