Millions of people have long suspected that their electronic devices are listening to them, and now a leaked document appears to confirm that suspicion. A confidential document, purportedly from one of Facebook's marketing partners, suggests that the company is spying on users' conversations to create targeted ads.
The document, released by media group Cox Media Group (CMG), details how the company's "active listening" software uses artificial intelligence to collect and analyze intent data in real time, listening to what you say through the microphone on your phone, laptop or home assistant.
"Advertisers can combine this voice data with behavioral data to target potential consumers,” states the presentation.
The presentation also mentions the Facebook, Google and Amazon as CMG customers, suggesting that the tech giants could be using the active listening service to target ads to users. The document was leaked to journalists at 404 Media, highlighting the capabilities of CMG’s active listening software to potential customers.
Since the news broke, Google has removed the media group from its partner site. In a statement sent to DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for Meta (Facebook’s parent company) said: “Meta does not use your phone’s microphone for ads, and we’ve been clear about that for years. We’re reaching out to CMG to clarify that their program is not based on Meta data."
Amazon also responded to 404 Media, stating that its advertising division “has never worked with CMG on this program and has no plans to do so.” However, the Amazon spokesperson added that if one of its marketing partners violates its rules, the company will take action, leaving the status of its relationship with CMG open.
The document details the six-step process that CMG's active listening software uses to collect voice data from consumers via any microphone-equipped device, including smartphones, laptops or home assistants.
It's not clear from the presentation whether the active listening software is always listening or only at specific times, such as during a phone call.
Advertisers use this information to target “potential consumers,” that is, people who are actively considering purchasing a particular product or service.
For example, if you talk about or search for Toyota cars, you may start seeing ads for the brand's latest models.
"Once launched, the technology automatically analyzes your website traffic and customers to feed ongoing audience targeting,” the document states.
So if you feel like you see more ads for a particular product after talking about it with a friend or researching it online, this could be the reason.
For years, smart device users have speculated that their phones or tablets are listening to them. But most tech companies have always denied these claims.
For example, Meta’s online privacy center states: “We understand that sometimes ads can be so specific that it feels like we should be listening to your conversations through your microphone, but we're not."
However, this leak is just the latest development in a series of reports suggesting that your phone really is listening to you, and that sites like Facebook could be profiting from what you say.
404 Media first revealed the existence of CMG's active listening service in December 2023.
The next day, they exposed a small artificial intelligence marketing company called MindSift, which boasted on a podcast about using smart device speakers to target ads.
Although it may seem surprising, the CMG stated in a now-deleted blog post that active listening is perfectly legal.
"We know what you're thinking. Is this even legal? The short answer is: yes. It is legal for phones and devices to listen to you,” reads the publication.
"When a new app is downloaded or updated and presents consumers with a multi-page terms of use agreement, somewhere in the fine print, active listening is often included."
This may explain how CMG is evading the laws of states like California, where call interception laws prohibit recording someone without their knowledge.
CMG, an American media giant based in Atlanta, Georgia, that provides broadcast, digital media, advertising and marketing services, did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment and has not responded to similar inquiries from other news sites including Futurism and Gizmodo. The company generated $22,1 billion in revenue in 2022.
