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Google & Facebook partner admits it can listen to device microphone to serve ads - Dexerto (www.dexerto.com)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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A media firm that has worked with the likes of Google and Meta has admitted that it can target adverts based on what you said out loud near device microphones.

Media conglomerate Cox Media Group (CMG) has been pitching tech companies on a new targeted advertising tool that uses audio recordings collected from smart home devices, according to a 404 Media investigation. The company is partners with Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Bing.

In a pitch deck presented to Google, Facebook, and others in November 2023, CMG referred to the technology used for monitoring and active listening as “Voice Data.” The firm also mentioned using artificial intelligence to collect data about consumers’ online behavior.

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[–] [email protected] 61 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

Voice data doesn't have to mean live microphone. Voice data could be when you use Siri or Google and talk to your phone to search things.

It is worth noting that most phones, whether Android or iOS, now notify users when a service accesses the microphone. On Android, a green light appears in the upper right, while on iPhone, it’s an orange light.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I don't know about Apple but Google used to make a little tone that let you know that it was listening to you. It doesn't do that anymore. Now it just shows a little green light which, if you're not looking directly at the phone you won't see.

And it was pretty frequent when Google's voice Assistant would randomly activate and I'd hear that little tone and I would have to turn it off so it wouldn't sit there listening to my conversation. But now you don't have that option, now if you miss that little light everything you say is recorded.

Fuck these services. I have permanently disabled both my phones 's Google Assistant and the Nest speaker I bought. Yes, it's less convenient. But the fact of the matter is that these companies aren't interested in making a service that is useful to you they just want to collect data on everything you do so they can sell it. And to be clear, I was fine with them collecting data on stuff that I actively participated in, it's the price I was willing to pay. But for them to pull this shady ass shit of removing the audible notification is just garbage.

[–] spazzman6156 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

For Google's devices, the sound is still available as an accessibility feature. It's now off by default, which I agree it should not be. But you can turn it back on, I have it on all my devices, they all still make that sound after recognizing "hey Google " either as a true or false positive.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It was disabled even in accessibility mode in the last major update on my last phone (Pixel 8) I haven't tried it on the Pixel 9 but I doubt I'll have better luck.