Google, Amazon and Others Are Secretly Listening to Users to Serve Targeted Ads

Media conglomerate Cox Media Group has offered technology companies a new tool for creating targeted advertising – it analyzes audio collected from home devices. The existence of this program became known last year, and now 404 Media has managed to get hold of a Cox presentation and confirm that IT giants are eavesdropping on user conversations.

Image source: 404media.co

The tool is called Active Listening, and it works by receiving data from smart devices that “capture real-time intent data by listening to our conversations.” By collecting the information, advertisers are able to “combine this voice data with behavioral data to target consumers in the marketplace.”

Artificial intelligence is used to collect data on consumer behavior online, with consumers “leaving a data trail based on their conversations and behavior online.” The AI ​​collects and analyzes “behavioral and voice data from more than 470 sources.” These tools are offered to advertisers in the United States, where most states have wiretapping laws—recording a person without their knowledge is generally prohibited. The presentation states that Cox collaborates with major technology platforms, including Google, Amazon and Facebook✴, but these companies disowned such cooperation.

Google said it had removed Cox from its advertising partners program and noted that “all advertisers must comply with all applicable laws and regulations as well as our Google Ads policies, and when we identify ads or advertisers that violate this policy, we will take appropriate action.” measures”. Amazon said the platform “Amazon Ads has never partnered with CMG on this program and has no plans to do so.” Meta✴ pointed out that the company was listed in the presentation as a “general marketing partner, not a partner ‘in this program,’” and also referred to a corporate blog entry about Facebook✴’s policy regarding the use of microphones for targeted advertising.