The unsettling phenomenon of having a conversation about a specific topic and then encountering an advertisement for that very thing on social media has been reported by many, myself included. This has fueled suspicions that tech giants are listening to our conversations through smartphone microphones to refine their targeted advertising. While social media giants like Meta’s Facebook have vehemently denied using any such listening software, a recent report by 404 Media sheds light on a potentially disturbing reality.
The report revealed leaked pitch decks from Cox Media Group (CMG) detailing a technology called “Active Listening.” This software, described in the pitch decks, allegedly accesses smartphone microphones to monitor conversations and collect data. This data is then combined with users’ behavioral information to create highly personalized and targeted advertisements. Notably, the leaked pitch decks mention Amazon, Google, and Facebook as partners with CMG, raising questions about their involvement in this technology.
Following the release of the report, Google swiftly removed CMG from its Partner Program list. However, it remains unclear if these tech giants were clients of “Active Listening” software, despite being partners with CMG. The software, powered by artificial intelligence, aims to “capture real-time intent data by listening to our conversations.”
Meta, in response to these allegations, has firmly denied any involvement with CMG’s “Active Listening” technology or any other listening software used for targeted advertising on its platforms. Meta reiterated its previous statements from 2016 that Facebook does not use smartphone microphones to collect advertising data. They provided links to these statements for further transparency.
Meta also clarified that advertisers who wish to create customer lists for targeted advertising on Facebook need to ensure they have the necessary rights to utilize specific data based on their review of laws, regulations, and industry guidelines. Meta further stated that it accepts fifteen “identifiers” for targeted advertising, including email, phone, mobile operating system, Facebook user ID, Facebook Page ID, and other personal information.
While Meta has publicly refuted the allegations, the leaked pitch decks raise serious concerns about user privacy and the potential for invasive data collection practices. This incident highlights the importance of transparency and accountability from tech giants regarding their data collection and advertising strategies. It also underscores the need for users to remain vigilant about their privacy settings and be mindful of the information they share online.
