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Is your smartphone listening to you?
BBC ^ | 2 March 2016 | Zoe Kleinman

Posted on 03/02/2016 6:23:29 AM PST by PotatoHeadMick

It all began with a car crash.

I was doing some ironing when my mum came in to tell me that a family friend had been killed in a road accident in Thailand.

My phone was on the worktop behind me.

But the next time I used the search engine on it, up popped the name of our friend, and the words, "Motorbike accident, Thailand" and the year in the suggested text below the search box.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Technical; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: eavesdropping; iphone; smartphone; surveillance
I am not tech savvy enough to make a judgment anyone here have an opinion?
1 posted on 03/02/2016 6:23:29 AM PST by PotatoHeadMick
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To: PotatoHeadMick

I have at least twice had advertisements displayed to me that appear to be targeted only based on conversations that I have had.


2 posted on 03/02/2016 6:27:16 AM PST by jjw
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To: PotatoHeadMick

Is your friend in the phone contact list? Something might be set in the background to search for news about your contacts.


3 posted on 03/02/2016 6:27:41 AM PST by Cyberman
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To: PotatoHeadMick
> I am not tech savvy enough to make a judgment anyone here have an opinion?

It can definitely be done without the person being aware that it's listening to them. There's much software tavailabld for the public to buy that can be installed on cell phones to do that so I'm pretty sure the fed with access to phone company level access could pull it off with no problem.

4 posted on 03/02/2016 6:30:42 AM PST by jsanders2001
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To: jjw

Last week we were in the car discussing a movie but couldn’t remember the title. When we went to google the name the VERY SPECIFIC search term was already listed in the google search bar. I am the paranoid in the family but my husband couldn’t believe his eyes.


5 posted on 03/02/2016 6:31:13 AM PST by NoExpectations
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To: PotatoHeadMick

Well all they hear is grunts and groans mostly. I-Porn is the # 1 contact on most phones.

...snorkel...snorkel...;-)


6 posted on 03/02/2016 6:31:42 AM PST by JEDI4S (I don't mean to cause trouble...it just happens naturally through the Force!)
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To: PotatoHeadMick

So is your tv’s, they can watch you as well with embedded cameras in the screens.


7 posted on 03/02/2016 6:36:42 AM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: jjw

Not long ago I was in a retail store discussing a particular product with someone. I had never bought, searched for, or even considered using it before. Less than a day later an advertisement for that particular brand name popped up on my smart phone.


8 posted on 03/02/2016 6:38:09 AM PST by Starboard
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To: NoExpectations

You’re not paranoid. There is something going on.

Companies will spend big bucks in novel ways to get their product names before you. Just sayin....


9 posted on 03/02/2016 6:40:31 AM PST by Starboard
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To: PotatoHeadMick

Doesn’t bother me, I still prefer a basic flip phone. I don’t text. My computer and iPad offer me all the net access I want, and, it’s much cheaper to buy, and to use. It does what a phone is supposed to, makes and takes phone calls.


10 posted on 03/02/2016 6:41:47 AM PST by FrankR (You're only enslaved to the extent of the charity that you receive!)
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To: PotatoHeadMick

Bkmrk.


11 posted on 03/02/2016 6:42:31 AM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear
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To: jjw

Bet mines confused then, due to all the audio books when not trapped deep in my purse!


12 posted on 03/02/2016 6:45:23 AM PST by BlackAdderess ("They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." ---Andy Warhol)
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To: Resolute Conservative

Dang, I need to get dressed. I don’t want to blind anyone.


13 posted on 03/02/2016 6:52:49 AM PST by tiki ( r)
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To: PotatoHeadMick

Smart phone? Nope. Flip only.


14 posted on 03/02/2016 6:54:52 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: PotatoHeadMick

This happened to a friends a couple of times. Once they were listening to a news story on TV about Syria and siri kept popping up on her Iphone. She had the feature turned off but it kept happening.


15 posted on 03/02/2016 6:58:32 AM PST by okkev68
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To: jjw

Me too! Conversations only....and then ads pop up on said topic


16 posted on 03/02/2016 7:35:21 AM PST by Be Careful
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To: PotatoHeadMick

I believe that on the iphone, when it is charging, siri can be activated without touching the button. One side of a conversation could be picked up as instructions


17 posted on 03/02/2016 7:38:36 AM PST by NativeSon ( Grease the floor with Crisco when I dance the Disco)
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To: PotatoHeadMick

I have heard that if you are watching your TV the phone is picking up audio clues on what you’re watching and using that to generate an ad stream to you.

I was going to try it by leaving it in a room with a set tuned to Telemundo for a few days, then see if I started getting ads in Spanish.


18 posted on 03/02/2016 7:51:50 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: PotatoHeadMick

Apple is a creepy liberal company. I have no doubt it phones home from what Siri hears. it helps explain how those Apple phone eat the battery so quickly.


19 posted on 03/02/2016 8:21:35 AM PST by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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