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I still don’t think companies serve you ads based on spying through your microphone
(simonwillison.net)
this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2025
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Ads aren't why you should be concerned about apps w/ microphone access...
Where exactly are you getting the idea that this belief is widespread?
I have heard it repeated several times. It's based on how virtual assistants are allowed to listen over your mic for keywords, applications like Facebook requesting full microphone access, and people with stories of getting ads for things after having a conversation about the same.
The third could be a form of recency bias; I just learned about this, and now I see it everywhere. Also, it's easy to know who is in your circle, and items you recently searched could be advertised to your friends. I saw this by getting sudden ads for handguns after getting an Amazon link from my gun crazy friend.
I saw it happen about 3 years ago. I mentioned Omega watches to my buddy who had somehow lived to 50 w/o ever hearing the name. Later that same day there was a Facebook ad for Omega on his Samsung phone.
Yep me too. Wife was adamant her phone was spying on her so we decided to test it by talking about Lexus cars (having chosen cars because at the time she was getting no car ads anywhere, had no interest in cars, and she had never heard of the brand before so certainly hadn’t searched for it). A few hours later, her Facebook feed was full of Lexus ads. 100%.
On the one hand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion
On the other: https://nypost.com/2024/09/03/business/marketing-firm-spies-on-you-through-your-phones-microphone-report/