There might have been instances where people notice that ads for products they just addressed in conversation — even without doing an internet search — suddenly show up on their devices. There’s more to the story than what many people thought was a coincidence or assumed was targeted advertising based on web searches.
As per 404 Media report, a marketing company has verified that smartphones are not only monitoring users’ internet activities but are also actively listening to your spoken words when you are near your phone.
With the use of “active listening” technology, smartphones may be listening in on our conversations. This scary finding was made after a marketing company, which represents digital behemoths like Google and Facebook, acknowledged that it was using software to record customers’ chats using their device microphones. The privacy of users, user consent, and the morality of targeted advertising have all come under scrutiny in light of this statement.
In what ways do phones record our conversations?
One of the biggest names in the media sector, Cox Media Group (CMG), is said to have created technology that can pick up and analyse background chats using microphones found in smartphones, smart TVs and other gadgets.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is used by this technology, known as “Active Listening,” to gather data in real-time on potential purchases from customers. The software can detect potential consumers by studying conversations and displaying adverts that correspond with their expressed objectives.
Active Listening Technology: How Does This Work?
The ‘active listening’ system combines speech data collected from regular conversations with behavioural data gathered from users’ online activity. According to 404 Media’s study of marketing materials, CMG claims that this strong combination allows advertisers to target people more precisely than ever. For example, if you discuss purchasing a new car with a friend or joining a gym, the active listening technology may intercept your chat and display relevant adverts on your devices.
When CMG showed its technology to investors and disclosed that it could gather and evaluate voice and behavioural data from more than 470 sources, the scope of this activity became evident. This goes beyond conventional web tracking techniques and gives advertisers more insight into the intentions and behaviour of their customers.
Is Active Listening Legal?
The treatment of targeted adverts varies across the world's data privacy regulations. At most, rules require that personal data be processed transparently and securely. In India, data privacy rules provide consumer agreement for the use of data in targeted advertisements and allow individuals to opt out of these practices.
How does this affect users?
This revelation’s most concerning finding is how readily people may have unwittingly agreed to be monitored. Users consent to active listening each time they download a new app or update an old one, according to a now-deleted statement from CMG.
Most people do not read the fine print in terms of use agreements carefully, although it frequently contains conditions that allow for such intrusive actions. This raises significant ethical and legal issues by enabling the technology to be used without clear and informed consent.
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