- Cox Media Group wrote about "Active Listening" in a recent blog post to help with targeted ads.
- It claimed to be able to use smart devices to listen in on conversations and advertise based on what is heard.
- It's unclear whether this is something that is actually happening, and the company has since deleted the page.
It sounds like something you'd hear from your paranoid friend: your devices are listening to you so that companies can market items to you based on your conversations.
Except that's exactly what a marketing company is bragging about, a new report from 404 Media reveals.
Cox Media Group recently gave advertisers an overview of a new technology it calls Active Listening. CMG claimed that its technology can use microphone data from devices like smartphones and tablets, specifically analyzing "pre-purchase conversations." The since-deleted blog post also mentions using AI to determine when the phrases heard from smart devices could be "relevant" to advertisers.
The blog post discussing Active Listening has since been deleted from CMG's website — trying to access the page on Friday just took you back to CMG's home page. However, an archived version of the post is still available.
CMG described Active Listening as "a world where no pre-purchased murmurs go unanalyzed," telling advertisers that "the whispers of consumers become a tool for you to target."
The company said in the blog post that its Active Listening is legal.
"We know what you're thinking. Is this even legal?" the post said. "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."
Active Listening uses voice data from conversations that users have, according to CMG. This is possible thanks to AI and the "growing ability to access microphone data."
CMG also said it can set certain terms as keywords for advertisers that could relate to different items or services they are trying to sell. This would enable advertisers to target customers based on who might have used these keywords.
"With this unprecedented understanding of consumer behavior, we can deliver personalized ads that make your target audience think: wow, they must be a mind reader," CMG wrote.
It's important to note that it's not clear whether this technology and marketing is actually happening. Cox Media Group did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment ahead of publication.
The marketing claims won't help with larger privacy fears around devices with microphones in them. Some people have long claimed without evidence that apps like Facebook listen to your conversations to serve you better ads (Facebook has long denied this, saying that the app only uses your microphone with permission and when you are using a feature that would require a microphone, like recording audio or video). On top of that, there is a way to disable Facebook and Instagram's access to your smartphone mic.
Apple has changed in recent years to its iOS software to force app-makers to be more transparent when an app is accessing or using your device's microphone or location data. Your iPhone also shows an orange dot in the top-right corner of the screen when your phone's microphone is in use, like during a phone call.
