Your Phones May Be “Active Listening” to Your Conversations, Claims Facebook Alleged Ad Partner

Highlights

• Reports suggest major advertisers like Facebook use Active Listening software.
• It captures real-time conversations to pair voice data with behavioural data for targeted ads.
• Cox Media Group’s pitch deck reveals details.

Just when you thought online ads couldn’t get any more creepy, it looks like those social media apps could be listening to your conversions for targeted ads.

Yes, we don’t like how it sounds but this could be true.

How many times has it happened that you just thought about something and a related ad appears on your phone?

We all can agree that it happens a lot.

Well, it looks like your phone apps may be indulging in practices that shouldn’t be legal to begin with.

Last week, discourse about online targeted advertising got spookier when Facebook’s alleged Ad partner bragged about “Active listening” to user conversations to show them exactly what they need at the right time.

404 Media, a new independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox, recently revealed details on the use of Active Listening software.

According to a report from 404 Media, a leaked pitch deck from Cox Media Group (CMG) reveals the use of AI-driven technology to listen to conversations in real time.

This alleged allows advertisers to pair voice data with behavioural data for targeted ads.

“Advertisers can pair this voice data with behavioural data to target in-market consumers,” the deck reads.

Leaked documents highlight Cox Media Group (CMG) as a key player, though companies like Meta, Google, and Amazon deny involvement in such programs.

Is “Active Listening” Technology Even Legal?

CMG’s pitch notes the legality of this practice.

The concerns are reportedly mentioned in the pile of terms of service agreements. It enables them to create user profiles for more personalized ads.

“We know what you’re thinking. Is this even legal?” noted a blog post from CMG from November last year.

“It is legal for phones and devices to listen to you. When a new app download or update prompts consumers with a multi-page term of use agreement somewhere in the fine print, Active Listening is often included,” CMG blog concludes.

Tech Companies Deny Using ‘Active Listening’ Technology

Meta and Amazon have distanced themselves from these practices.

Meanwhile, Google removed CMG from its Partners Program after being contacted for comment.

A Meta spokesperson reportedly informed the media that CMG was a general partner and not a partner in the program advertised in the deck.

“Meta does not use your phone’s microphone for ads and we’ve been public about this for years. We are reaching out to CMG to get them to clarify that their program is not based on Meta Data,” a Meta spokesperson noted.

FAQs

Q1. What is Active Listening software and how is it used in advertising?

Answer. Active Listening software is an AI-driven technology that listens to real-time conversations, allowing advertisers to pair voice data with behavioural data for targeted ads.

Major tech companies might be using this technology to create more personalized ads.

However, companies like Meta, Google, and Amazon deny involvement in such programs.

Q2. What are the concerns associated with Active Listening software?

Answer. The use of Active Listening software raises concerns that it invades user privacy by collecting voice data without explicit consent.

This issue highlights the need for greater transparency, legality, and consumer awareness in digital advertising.

Q3. Does Meta use active listening?

Answer. “Meta does not use your phone’s microphone for ads and we’ve been public about this for years.

We are reaching out to CMG to get them to clarify that their program is not based on Meta Data,” a Meta spokesperson clarified.

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