A recent investigation has revealed that smartphones may be listening to users’ conversations to tailor advertisements.
According to 404 Media, Cox Media Group (CMG), a prominent television and radio conglomerate, has privately confirmed using its “Active Listening” technology to monitor and analyse conversations for marketing purposes.
The report details that CMG’s “Active Listening” software employs artificial intelligence to capture and process real-time voice data from users’ conversations. This data is then combined with behavioural information to target ads more precisely. The presentation also claims that major tech companies, including Facebook, Google, and Amazon, are clients of CMG’s service.
Following the report, Google removed CMG from its “Partners Program” website. A Google spokesperson stated, “All advertisers must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, as well as our Google Ads policies. We will act appropriately when we identify ads or advertisers violating these policies.”
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has indicated it is reviewing CMG’s practices to ensure they align with its service terms.
A Meta spokesperson said, “Meta does not use your phone’s microphone for ads, and we’ve been transparent about this for years.” The company is contacting CMG to confirm that its program does not involve Metadata.
Amazon has also addressed the issue, with a spokesperson noting that its advertising division “has never worked with CMG on this program and has no plans to do so.” Amazon further assured that it would act against any partner violating its guidelines.
This disclosure follows a similar incident reported last December involving MindSift, a New Hampshire-based firm that admitted to using voice data for targeted ads by listening to users’ conversations. The new report highlights that CMG’s “Active Listening” feature operates comparably.
A previously published Cox Media Group blog post from November 2023, which has since been removed, defended the legality of these practices, stating that while devices can listen to users, such practices are often included in the fine print of lengthy terms of service agreements.
The Post has contacted CMG and Amazon for more comments on this matter.
