Yes, marketers are actually using your phone to listen to you

You’ve officially been gaslit. And no, I’m not talking about your ex.

Remember how they said your phone doesn’t actually listen to you? And the coincidental ad popping up after a conversation you’d had about that very thing was just a mix of really good targeting and confirmation bias?

Well, we’ve been hoodwinked. Bamboozled. Lied to.

A recent report has revealed that a major marketing firm admitted to using 'Active Listening' software to monitor smartphone conversations for ads.

I feel violated.

Independent news site 404 Media leaked the bombshell news last week. Their report outs Cox Media Group, a marketing firm whose clients include Facebook and Google. The expose even posts the pitch deck the group used to send to prospective clients.

Yes, that’s right. The media giant was marketing itself to clients on the strength of its 'Active Listening Service.' Their clients can use the service to drive hyper-targeted ads based on what you say around your device.

The slide deck shows that Cox was unabashedly explaining how they target customers based on what their devices’ microphones picked up. News site Windows Central reports Cox published a blog post promoting this ability to audio snoop, though it has now deleted it.

Google has since kicked CMG off its Partner Program in response.

For years, consumers have suspected their smartphones were listening to their conversations. But never has there been a revelation confirming those suspicions until now.

I know what you’re thinking. Is this even legal?

Yes. It is.

You know how, when you download a new app or update, you have to click through a multipage term of use agreement? Well, somewhere in the fine print, Active Listening is often included.

However, the legality doesn’t make it feel less intrusive.

Active Listening technology leverages artificial intelligence to analyse conversations and extract valuable insights. The software eavesdrops on these conversations, whether you're talking to a friend or discussing plans at home. Then, it uses that data to guide advertising strategies.

The software collects data from over 470 sources. And it combines voice data with information about users' online behaviour. This broad data collection strategy makes the technology incredibly powerful – and incredibly creepy.

The release of this report has sparked a privacy wake-up call.

The Cox Media Group, in a now-deleted post, claimed that users implicitly agree to Active Listening technology when they download new apps or update existing ones. This consent is typically buried deep within lengthy terms of use agreements, which most users accept without reading.

It’s also shone a light on intrusive AI technology.

And, in case you're wondering, Cox Media aren’t the only ones utilising it.

Microsoft, for example, has found itself in hot water more than once over its controversial Recall feature. This essentially watches everything a PC user does on their computer with the goal of helping find lost files and so on.

Privacy advocates slammed Microsoft for the risks Recall posed to users’ private data. They also showed concern about privacy risks around commercially sensitive information typed in by a Windows user at the office.

I mean, is anywhere safe?

Well, no. Not really.

This new controversy underlines that, in the era of AI, every company needs to be extra vigilant with their IT security.

And despite being extremely long, tedious, and boring, at least ONE person in your office needs to understand those software user clauses.

That said, that person sure as hell isn’t going to be me!

-Sophie, Writer