Posted on 09/03/2024 5:58:46 AM PDT by Red Badger
Millions of people have long suspected it, but now a leak suggests that out phones really are listening to us.
An apparent pitch deck from one of Facebook's marketing partners appears to detail how the firm eavesdrops on users' conversations to create targeted ads.
In a slideshow, Cox Media Group (CMG) claims that its 'Active-Listening' software uses AI to collect and analyze 'real-time intent data' by listening to what you say through your phone, laptop or home assistant microphone.
'Advertisers can pair this voice-data with behavioral data to target in-market consumers,' the deck states.
The pitch deck goes on to tout Facebook, Google and Amazon as clients of CMG, suggesting they could be using its Active-Listening service to target users.
Since the story broke, Google removed the media group from their 'Partners Program' website.
Read More NSA shares seven steps iPhone and Android users MUST take to protect from secret smartphone hacks article image Meta - Facebook's parent company - admitted it is reviewing CMG for any terms of service violations.
Amazon responded to 404 Media by stating that its ads arm 'has never worked with CMG on this program and has no plans to do so.'
But the spokesperson added that that if one of its marketing partners violates its rules, the company will take action, leaving the status of Amazon's relationship with CMG somewhat unclear.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Bkmk
In Amerika, Television Watches You!
LOL!
We’ve known this for years ... especially with specific ads showing up related to particular items we’d recently discussed. NOT searched for, but DISCUSSED.
Running Windows 10 Pro, and I have no built-in webcam and microphone, nor do I have one connected to the PC. Which is great when I get those anonymous emails and letters saying they have video proof of my computer "activities" and will be notifying my family if I don't pay the ransom.
“People just rolled their eyes when I told them this was technologically-feasible - perhaps even with the battery out
Very few believed me.”
Problem is they never learn. After being proven wrong over and over and over they still have a perpetual mental block and absolutely refuse to be objective.
“In Amerika, Television Watches You!”
Yep, smart TVs have already been busted for it.
Experiment time:
Each day for a couple of weeks, lay your phone on the kitchen table and tell your dog all about the Volkswagen Jetta that you really want to buy. Never look for Jettas on the web (or even mention in your gmail). See if you start getting Jetta ads when browsing the web.
Yep
I tried to explain to the naive what Google was all about
They just rolled their eyes 🙄🙄🙄
Completely without a clue 🧩
Who didn’t know that. Can’t tell you how many times I have had conversation with family members and 20 minutes later something comes up on my internet link regarding what we talked about.
Yep
I went to the doctor for a check up and I had my phone with me. I did not use it while there. By the time I got home, there were ads on my phone about some of the things we discussed. Now, I leave my phone in the car when I go to the doctor.
I wonder what the reaction would be if the conversation centered around firearms and the need for additional ones.
I discussed Allen Edmonds shoes with my Admin Assistant. 15 minutes later, Allen Edmonds advertisements were on her computer browser. Neither of had typed anything.
Congress has done nothing to avoid this technological change. Now, you see Government’s direct control over entities like Twitter and Facebook. You see the international control indicated by communications from the UK or Brazil to Elon Musk.
Congress has done nothing to avoid this because they like the results.
I can honestly say I don’t know if they are monitoring my conversations because I’ve been using an ad-blocker for as long as I can remember. The amount of spam emails I get is quite minimal, at least compared to what a lot of people complain about.
Once is happenstance.
Twice is coincidence.
Three times is ENEMY ACTION................
We’re the product!
Some of the guys at the fire station were sitting around the dinner table talking about a suicide call they had run. One of the guys pipes up and says “I almost committed suicide when a guy pulled out...” and his phone which is laying on the table starts “if you have been having suicidal thoughts, please call...”
On iPhones, go into Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh. Turn off all you don’t need to have running all the time. For me, all are turned off. They will temporarily turn on when you choose to run them and they are the primary app on your screen.
Additionally, go to Settings -> Privacy and Security -> Microphone and turn off everything you don’t want listening to you.
Finally, be sure to unload from memory any apps you don’t need to have using up active memory at this moment. To do this, press down on the bottom of your screen and drag your finger upward. This will show your running apps as overlays over each other. For any program you don’t want using active memory, use your finger to press down on that app and flick it upward, and it will fly off your screen. Scroll through all apps.
These steps should help address all microphone concerns.
Another thing I would do is turn off, or trim down, Location Services for your apps. Go to Settings -> Privacy and Security -> Location Services. For those you don’t need constantly seeing where you are, turn them off or change them to “While Using” or “While Shared” (this is also “Ask Next Time or When I Share,” inside the specific setting).
Also, in Settings -> Privacy and Security -> Local Network, turn off all apps you don’t specifically need to talk to a device on your network. Printing from an app does not need this on, because your phone will print for you and it has permission you can’t turn off. Apps use this to identify all of your users and devices to catalog who you associate with and what sort of devices and security you have. They can then sell this to data brokers. Note that AirDrop should still work fine, as that, too, is permission you can’t turn off here.
Consider removing apps you will never again use from your main screen. Each time programs are run, and potentially when they get upgraded, they scan your phone for signs of other software and settings. Apple prevents some of this, but not all.
Exactly what happened, with us.
And, we have ad blockers, tape over cams, etc.
Ads will show up on IG feed, as well.
They can still listen, if/when they want to.
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